Section 1.465  Ethnic School Foreign Language Credit and Program Approval

a)         School boards of unit and secondary school districts shall have the power to award high school credit for the study of a foreign language in an ethnic school, provided that the amount of credit to be awarded is determined in accordance with Section 10-22.43a of The School Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 122, par. 10-22.43a), and that the credit is awarded for the study of a foreign language in an ethnic school program which has been approved by the State Board of Education in accordance with the standards set forth below.

b)         "Ethnic school" means a part time private school which teaches the foreign language of a particular ethnic group as well as the culture, geography, history and other aspects of a particular ethnic group (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1984 Supp., ch. 122, par. 2-3.44).

c)         The foreign language program(s) of an ethnic school which voluntarily seeks Illinois State Board of Education approval of its foreign language program(s) shall meet the following minimum standards:

1)         Teachers of the foreign language program(s) shall possess at least a baccalaureate degree and at least twenty semester hours of credit in the foreign language taught both of which shall have been awarded by a college or university recognized in accordance with Section 21-21 of The School Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 122, par. 21-21).

2)         The foreign language program(s) shall contain at least 120 clock hours of instruction plus outside preparation for each unit of credit issued upon successful completion of such instruction, although less than a full unit of credit may also be awarded in proportion to the amount of instruction received.

3)         The school shall maintain and make available upon request by State Board of Education, and/or local school district officials to which students seek to transfer foreign language credit(s), documentation which verifies compliance with these minimum standards.  Such documents may include:  school informational brochures; course syllabi; class schedules; and official teacher transcripts.

d)         Annual application by an ethnic school for approval of its foreign language program shall be made on forms provided by the State Board of Education.

e)         Approval shall be granted on an annual basis provided that a previously approved ethnic school continues to comply with the minimum standards set forth in subsection (c).

(Source:  Added at 9 Ill. Reg. 8608, effective May 28, 1985)