Supporting international students at school and at home

Overview

Welcoming international students to Alberta is always an exciting time for students and school administrators. However, it can also be a challenging time. The following steps may help ease the transition to life in Alberta for international students.

Support at school

Consider the following strategies to support a smoother transition for international students at school:

• Introduce international students to their assigned academic advisors as soon as possible after their arrival.
• Ensure that school administrators and advisors are prepared to assist international students through the cultural adaptation process. Provide administrators and teachers additional intercultural training and expert reference material if they are not familiar with the adaptation process.
• Arrange for international students to have 'student buddies'; these are Alberta students or returning international students from other countries who can provide invaluable peer support.
• Provide international students with information about their school before they arrive. Share any relevant online materials with them, such as the link to the school website and any school handbook or course information that might be available. As Alberta schools may offer many different courses that will not be available in the student’s school abroad, it may be important to discuss the different courses and extra-curricular activities that are available at the school.
• Discuss specific code of conduct and student responsibilities that could be different from the international students’ home country.
• International student program advisors may wish to conduct regular mental health check-ins with international students. Program staff could provide international students with external or school mental health support resources during the student’s welcome orientation session.

Welcome orientation session

School authorities will often provide a standard orientation for international students so they are appropriately prepared for the term or year ahead. An effective orientation includes a face-to-face session that allows international students to meet other Alberta and international students, ask questions and receive resource material that outlines important information for later reference.

The following topics are covered in a welcome orientation session:

• program policies and procedures
• fees and refund policy
• health insurance and coverage
• banking
• student code of conduct
• information on classes and extracurricular activities
• tips for successful host family relations
• intercultural communication, culture shock and cultural adaptation
• information on laws in Canada and disciplinary action for international students

Grade level and course placement

School principals have the authority to place students in the appropriate courses or grade level as referenced in the Guide to Education, Placement and Promotion. As individual international student background and learning is unique, placing international students is done on a case-by case basis. It is based on best judgement, monitoring the progress of each international student and adjusting, as necessary, to ensure the best learning environment. The following tips may be helpful in determining international student placements:

• Place international students in in a developmentally appropriate grade level and/or in the grade level or course(s) based on their personal goals and interests.
• Place international students based on their knowledge and language ability. Assessments may take place at the school or school authority-sponsored testing centres. This strategy is more commonly used with high school-aged students.
• Review transcripts or previous school records to help determine appropriate placements. For example, international students from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries will generally have comparable knowledge of mathematics and science as Alberta students.
• Transcripts from other countries may require a more specialized evaluation, and helpful information may be found in the country education guides published by the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS).
• Guidance counsellors who are unsure of how to evaluate transcripts should contact the international area of their school authority for additional advice and support.
• Understanding of any transcript validation procedures required by the student’s home country.

School authorities may also find further guidance in grade and course placement as well as determining how and when to award credit to international students in the Guide to Education.

It is important to be clear and upfront with international students on whether they will be awarded course credit or if they will be awarded a high school diploma.

International student registration and coding

Properly registering international students enables Alberta Education to maintain statistics and identify trends within the international student population, including their performance on standardized tests and transition to post-secondary education. International fee-paying students should be given a Citizenship Status Code of 5 – “Temporary Resident (student)” and an Enrollment Code of 416 “Visiting Student”. For more information on student coding, visit the Provincial Approach to Student Information (PASI) website and PASI Code Values.

Support on the first day of school

On the first day of school, it is good practice for school administrators to meet with the international student to inform them of the school rules and practices, such as morning routines, timetables, cafeteria, gymnasium, bus passes, lockers, etc. The international student program advisor could also be present for this meeting.

After the international student’s first week, a school visit by the international student program advisor is often organized. This visit helps complete a check-in with the international student to ensure that they are adjusting well to all aspects of the program. When in-person visits are not possible, phone calls or virtual face-to-face meetings are organized instead.

Support at host home

One of the most important steps when supporting an international student’s transition to Alberta is pairing the international student with a compatible host family. Host families house and care for the international student for the entire period of their international student term.

School authorities should establish a clear homestay screening and program policy. Components of the policy and practice could include minimum requirements for the primary caregiver and for the home environment. A screening process for homestay families may include:

• an interview
• home inspection
• yearly reference checks, including criminal record and vulnerable record checks for those in a hosting household over 18 years old

School authorities may wish to seek legal advice regarding risk management with homestay families.

Pairing the international student with a host family

Collecting the international student’s background information is useful for finding them a suitable home. The international student application form can provide relevant details and a section could be included where the international student describes the qualities of their ideal home. Other lifestyle questions may also be included in a form such as religious practices, openness to living with a family where a member drinks or smokes, willingness to live with pets, dietary needs and restrictions, etc. To support the matching process, host families could also answer similar questions on what qualities and lifestyle an ideal international student would have to live in their home.

Pre-arrival of the international student

Prior to the international student arriving in their home, it is good practice that all primary homestay caregivers be given an orientation of international student program standards and procedures. Homestay orientations can include information on:

• responsibilities of the homestay family
• contact information for general inquires and 24-hour emergency contact
• conflict resolution
• addressing instances where the parent provides instructions that may conflict with homestay caregivers
• disciplinary action for international students
• intercultural communication
• payment procedures
• information about the international student’s education (school location, courses, timetable, school administration contact information etc.)
• procedures in case the international student or host family requests a home stay transfer (notice required, homestay transfer form and process, homestay fee changes, etc.)

Prior to the arrival of the international student in Canada, the host family, the parents or guardians, and custodians/guardians of the international student should be in communication. The international student program advisor could guide these conversations with the host family going over details about family activities, local weather, household rules, expectations of phone and Wi-Fi use in the household, curfews, rules on smoking and drinking alcohol, religious practices, medical conditions, expectations around the homestay family taking the student on trips or experiences, and any special attention required, diets, etc. Confirmation of arrival of the international student, airport pick up and so on should also be discussed, and host families may also consider being at the airport to welcome the international student. The student could also discuss their expectations of the host family in these discussions as well.

Arrival of the international student

The international student program advisor and the host family work together to help the international student settle into the host family’s home. A tour of the home with the international student and a review of relevant household rules are part of the settling in process. These can be reinforced a few days later to ensure understanding. Important information related to household routines and family rules includes:

• mealtimes (during the week and on weekends)
• shower schedule and morning routine
• curfews (weeknights and weekends)
• family chores setting table, washing dishes etc.
• television, WI-FI, and phone usage – how much and how late
• family activities

Basic components of a quality homestay program include the following characteristics:

• a separate bedroom in the home for the international student
• three meals a day plus snacks and beverages
• access to Wi-Fi in the hosting home; most international students will arrive with their own cell phone and international calling plan or will choose to use social media or a telecommunications app to communicate with their home
• suitable cultural and recreational experiences for the international student – this might include some travel within the province with appropriate permissions as required from parents, custodians and international programming staff