24 Pa. Stat. § 5-522
Any board of public education or board of school directors of any school district of this Commonwealth is hereby authorized to pay any professional employe the salary he would be entitled to if teaching in the school district from which he is granted a leave of absence to serve as an exchange teacher in any foreign country or territory or possession of the United States of America.
Any professional employe, while on leave as an exchange teacher, shall be considered to be in regular full-time daily attendance in the position from which the leave was granted, during the period of said leave, for the purpose of determining the employe's length of service, the right to receive increments as provided by law, and the right to make contributions as a member of the Public School Employees' Retirement Fund and continue his or her membership therein, the right to service credits toward the time necessary for a sabbatical leave for health or a leave of absence for professional development, and the right to accumulate days of leave on account of illness or accidental injury.
24 P.S. § 5-522