NAFSAs Next Steps

Lauren Johanson
International Program Coordinator, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Natick, MA

Emily Keizer
International Student Coordinator, School One
Providence, RI
 Learning Objectives
By 10:30 today, we hope you will:

Be aware of the scope of international education at the high school level

Consider how NAFSA and other organizations can best support these
individuals, and generate interest in taking action to develop these support
systems

Understand the needs of secondary IE professionals and how they

diverge from higher education international programs
 International Secondary Students

73,000 international secondary students in the U.S. (Oct. 2013)

67% F-1 visas 48,000

33% J-1 visas 25,000

Number of F-1 visa students tripled from 2004 to 2013.

The fastest growing stakeholder group in SEVIS

(SEVIS by the Numbers, Aug. 2015)
F-1 Secondary Students
Of these 48,000 international secondary students:

95% attend private schools

57% are from Asia, primarily China and South Korea

6 of top 10 hosting states are on the East Coast

Student Motivations to come to the US

Western education is highly valued

Growing economies mean families can afford this commodity

Pathway to higher education:

- Gain academic, language, cultural skills at an earlier age

- Higher expectations/requirements of applicants

- Increased intl interest + state quotas = more competitive

What does this mean for us?

Schools need more staff who are better trained staff to support
growing population

Independent school faculty and staff wear many hats!

-- One person = dorm parent, advisor, coach AND
teacher/administrator

Secondary school professionals tend to learn on the job vs. formal

training

One-person offices tend to isolate professionals

Experience
&
Motivations
Experience
&
Motivations
Recent SIT Graduate Institute Study

What do you need to do

your job better??

Interviewed 21 participants at 21 schools (Boarding &

day, all-boys & all-girls, Catholic) all in New England
 Participants Questions

International Student Coordinators What is the organizational structure of

International Program Managers your school?
Are you a member of any
International Admissions & Enrollment
professional organizations?
Diversity Officers Student Services
Have you utilized any professional
Multicultural Student Directors development resources?
Directors of Global Programs What opportunities would you like to
see available?
ESL Teachers
Study Findings: Useful Organizations

NAIS-TABS Global Symposium

Hotchkiss Symposium on International Students

Immigration Training Providers

Listservs
Study Findings: What do professionals need?

Targeted networking opportunities

Faculty/staff trainings

Integration of American/International students

More specific cultural information

Student development - specific to high school

Accreditation of Recruitment agencies

Standardized ESL curriculum

Institutional Support
 How can NAFSA help??

Advising Secondary F-1 Students Workshop

F-1 and J-1 Immigration Workshops

Secondary School International Educators

MIG just created
http://network.nafsa.org/communities/community-home?communitykey=6f6a3047-694f-
4fbd-a773-10670acd0e8d&tab=groupdetails

 What else can we do?
What has your experience been in secondary schools?
What would help you do your job better?
How can we bridge the gap between higher ed and secondary schools?
What is NAFSAs role? Is it the right home for secondary school resources?
 Email your ideas to us:

emilyk@school-one.org

ljohanson@walnuthillarts.org