The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State in April 2007 released a "Discussion Paper on Secondary School Student Exchanges in the United States".

This paper provides an overview of the Secondary School Student Exchange Visitor Program and presents data describing the 2006-2007 academic year. It offers observations of the current state of these programs and their participants. It also identifies pitfalls that may lead to unsuccessful programs and seeks feedback on how best to avoid them. The Department intends that this paper be a first step in an industry-wide dialogue that will encourage best practices and the successful programs we all want.