HD25 - A Review of Established Guidelines and Standards for International Education Travel and Exchange Programs for Students

  • Published: 1992
  • Author: Department of Education
  • Enabling Authority: House Joint Resolution 453 (Regular Session, 1991)

Executive Summary:
The 1991 General Assembly, at the request of Chief patron Delegate Robert Tata, passed House Joint Resolution 453 requesting the Board of Education to provide guidelines and standards for local school divisions on international travel. The Department of Education formed a team to review existing guidelines and standards used by national organizations, councils, or agencies which evaluate travel and exchange operations. The Department's team also contacted selected state education agencies and selected local social studies or foreign language specialists in order to review a wide range of guidelines.

Historical background shows increasing student travel abroad. Numerous organizations responded to student travel by developing tours or exchange programs to foreign countries. The variety in travel programs caused a need for guidelines and standards for evaluation purposes. Several groups provide guidelines and standards. The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, the United States Information Agency, the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs, the National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Languages, and the National Council for the Social Studies are examples of organizations that provide guidelines and standards upon request to the public.

The most comprehensive and widely accepted guidelines are those provided by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. Since 1984 it has evaluated travel organizations using criteria of nine standards. This Council reevaluates member organizations each year and publishes its results as public information. For these reasons, the Department of Education team studying guidelines for international student study/travel programs recommends the standards of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel to local school divisions.

The guidelines suggested by the Virginia Department of Education team are meant to serve as a reference for local school divisions when they are planning, implementing, or evaluating student travel abroad programs outside of the perimeters of authorized school activities. The suggested guidelines in this document illustrate one example of balanced criteria to examine travel-abroad programs. Other agencies or organizations that provide guidelines and standards have been provided as resources to be contacted for additional information. The recommendation of guidelines and standards by the Virginia Department of Education team should not be regarded as the only appropriate guidelines or standards for international travel. Nor should the team's recommendation be considered as a mandate for local school divisions. All information or recommendations may be adapted as needed.