International Student Program

Dayspring Christian Academy is eager to share a Principle Approach education with students from around the world. Dayspring is permitted to grant I-20 forms to International Students who want to enter the United States with an F-1 visa. The I-20 forms are issued by Dayspring and initially delivered to students through their student exchange agency.

Enrolling at Dayspring Christian Academy

1. An international student must initially be qualified through a student exchange agency.
2. The school administration approves the only exchange agencies through whom Dayspring Christian Academy accepts international students.
3. The International Students Department assesses candidates to ensure the appropriate diversity of gender, country of origin, and age.
4. The Academic Dean reviews applications, transcripts, and language testing to determine acceptance and placement.
5. Each International Student’s host family must be approved by the International Students Department of Dayspring Christian Academy.
6. Though Dayspring is a Christian school, international students do not have to be born-again believers. However, a student’s faith, customs, and practices may not be in conflict with the values held by Dayspring Christian Academy.
7. Students must be willing to abide by school rules and policies of the school and be respectful of the Christian faith.

Dayspring prefers to accept international students for an entire school year, though we also consider allowing students to attend Dayspring for less than one full year.

If a student requests to attend Dayspring Christian Academy for additional years, approval must be granted by the Headmaster. This approval is based upon the student’s academic performance, social adaptation, command of the English language, and evidence of mature character development.

Tuition and Fees

International students shall pay all fees, including the enrollment fee, and the full year’s tuition before the first day of school.

International students for whom Dayspring Christian Academy has registered I-20 forms will pay an additional fee for this service. This fee is due before the first day of school.

International students withdrawing during the first thirty (30) days of school will be subject to the standard withdrawal policy and shall not receive a refund.

Dayspring Christian Academy education is enhanced by a variety of field studies. In high school, the cost of these events is included in the annual tuition, with the exception of the 12th grade field study to Israel. The field studies, by grade, are as follows:

Grade	Field Study Destination
9th	Plymouth and Boston, MA (5 days)
10th	Washington, D.C. (2 days)
11th	New York, NY (2 days)
12th	Israel (12 days)

 

Athletic Participation

All international students are eligible to participate in interscholastic sports through Dayspring. Each student athlete must complete transfer forms, as determined by the Commonwealth Christian Athletic Conference (CCAC) and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) sports.

Language Development Expectations

Dayspring is pleased to offer English Language Learning (ELL) classes on-site. Dayspring’s ELL guidelines are as follows:

• Students with a SLEP score of 55 or higher do not need ELL at Dayspring
• Students with a SLEP of 40-54 need to take a minimum of one ELL class weekly at Dayspring.
• Students with a SLEP of less than 40 will be evaluated by the Academic Dean’s office to determine the amount of ELL classes needed at Dayspring, if the student is admitted.

International students must use an official translator when they need assistance with translation while in class at Dayspring Christian Academy. No student will be permitted to use a phone or iPod for translation during school hours. Phones are not allowed during tests for notes or translation.

Language requirements are as follows:

• TOEFL – 32
• TOEFL CBT – 33
• TOEFL PBT – 311
• TOEFL JR – 619
• IELTS – 4.5
• CAMBRIDGE – 120
• SLEP – 37
• ITEP/SLATE – 1.0
• PET – 18
• ELTIS – 194

Enrollment and Graduation

First-year international students will be placed in the appropriate grade as determined by their age, previous academic performance, social levels, command of the English language, and Dayspring’s entrance testing. Returning international students will be placed in the appropriate grade levels based upon previous year’s performance. A returning student seeking graduation will be placed in 12th grade provided they have successfully completed one (1) full year at Dayspring Christian Academy and are academically qualified to do so. The recommended number of new foreign exchange/international students is three (3) students per year per high school grade. Consideration for accepting additional students may take place based on high school enrollment and dynamics of current student body. Approval will made by the Headmaster.