Section 1.465  Ethnic School Foreign Language Credit and Program Approval

a)         School boards of unit and secondary school districts may 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 [105 ILCS 5/10-22.43a] and that the credit is awarded for the study of a foreign language in an ethnic school program that has been approved by the State Board of Education in accordance with this Section.

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 [105 ILCS 5/2-3.44].

c)         The State Superintendent of Education shall approve ethnic schools' foreign language programs if they meet the following standards:

1)         Each teacher shall possess at least a baccalaureate degree and have completed at least 20 semester hours of credit in the foreign language taught, both of which shall have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university.

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

d)         Each school shall maintain and make available upon request by the State Superintendent of Education or by officials of school districts to which students seek to transfer foreign language credit, documentation that verifies compliance with the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section, including but not limited to informational brochures, course syllabi, class schedules, and teachers' official transcripts.

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

f)          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) of this Section.

(Source:  Amended at 33 Ill. Reg. 15193, effective October 20, 2009)