R8178
Instruction
Independent Study
Purpose
Independent study allows K-12 students to complete academic requirements during an absence (as defined under “Eligibility” below) from the school site during the regular school year. Independent study provides a procedure for:
a. Procuring special assignments extending the content of the regular curriculum or individualized study in a particular area of interest not available in the regular curriculum.
b. An individualized alternative means for assuring that a student acquires the knowledge and skills of the core curriculum.
c. Continuing to progress toward the completion of educational and graduation requirements during a brief or an extended absence.
1. Definitions
Request for Homework: This option does not apply to students whose absence from school is excused due to illness or injury for which other arrangements may be made to assure that students do not fall behind in their work. State law requires that an independent study option cannot be made available if the absence is for less than five consecutive days. However, a Request for Homework for instructional assignments for an absence of less than 5 consecutive days may be available from the student’s teacher or teachers. Absences for less than 5 days for other than illness will be unexcused and may result in further attendance review. The principal will have the discretion for an exception one time each school year to excuse up to four days of consecutive absence if there is a request signed by the parent, principal, and student prior to the absence and work is completed upon return. The principal of a high school will have the discretion for an additional exception for a school year to excuse not more than four days of absence for any junior and/or senior student to visit an institution of post secondary education, Leadership Lompoc, and Camp Unity. The visit must be verified by the institution.
Short-term independent study: An alternative, individualized short-term program of study to accommodate a pupil enrolled in a comprehensive elementary or secondary school who will be absent from school 5 to 10 consecutive days for Grades K-12 (approval of additional days are at the principal's discretion), or to extend the content of regular courses of instruction, or to offer instruction not available in the regular curriculum. Page 1 of 9
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Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
Long-term independent study: An alternative long-term program of study that meets curriculum goals and objectives or standards for promotion and graduation requirements for a period greater than ten days, but not to exceed one semester or half a year for a school on a year round calendar.
2. General Rules
Independent study shall not be provided as an alternative curriculum.
No course required for high school graduation shall be offered exclusively through independent study. The District shall not provide independent study students and their parents/guardians with funds or items of value that are not provided for other students and their parents/guardians, but shall be provided the same access to all existing services and resources in the school in which the student is enrolled pursuant to Education Code section 51748 as are available to all other students in the school.
No student shall be required to participate in independent study. Students enrolling in independent study must be residents of the local county or an adjacent county. Full-time independent study shall not be available to students whose district residency status is based on their parent/guardian’s employment within District boundaries pursuant to Education Code 48204.
No individual with disabilities, as defined in Education Code 56026, may participate in independent study unless his/her Individualized Education Program specifically provides for such participation. No temporarily disabled student may receive individual instruction pursuant to Education Code 48206.3 by means of independent study.
No more than 10% of the students enrolled in a continuation high school or opportunity school or program, not including pregnant and parenting students who are primary care givers for one or more of their children, may be in independent study at any given time.
The ratio of average daily attendance for independent study pupils 18 years of age or less to school district full-time equivalent certificated employees responsible for independent study shall not exceed the equivalent ratio of pupils to full-time certificated employees for all other education programs operated by the school district.
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Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
The principal may determine whether it is in the best interest of a student to participate in any independent study program. Participation requires the signed consent and agreement of the principal, supervising teacher and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil, the parent or guardian, and the student prior to the absence.
The independent study program of each student shall be coordinated, evaluated, and under the general supervision of an employee of the school district who possesses a valid certification document as required by law. Qualified personnel shall assess the achievement, abilities, interests, aptitudes, and needs of participating pupils to determine whether full-time independent study is the most appropriate alternative for a pupil being referred and, if so, the most appropriate individualized plan and resources to be made available to pupils enrolled in full-time independent study.
3. Criteria for Participation
Students or parents who are interested in independent study should contact their school principal. Application for enrollment into the long-term independent study is made to the administration of the residence school for an evaluation by the principal to determine the appropriateness of the placement in the program. The application may be referred to the Review Committee for School-Aged Students for placement. The review committee will be comprised of the referring school administrator, the parent or guardian, a counselor/psychologist, and the long-term independent study administrator. Approval for participation in independent study shall be based on the following criteria:
A. An Acceptable reason for requesting independent study. Such reasons may include but are not limited to the desire to participate in volunteer community service activities that support and strengthen pupil achievement, continuing and special study during travel, study in a particular area of interest or in a subject not currently available in the regular school curriculum, special assignments extending the content of regular courses of instruction, an unavoidable short-term absence, or the need for an individualized alternative program to acquire the knowledge and skills of the core curriculum.
B. Evidence that the student is able to and will work independently to complete the program. This evidence shall include a review of records including, but not limited to, work habits of the student and performance on an appropriate placement test. Page 3 of 9
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Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
C. Assurance that the student will be able to timely complete the assignments and meet the necessary commitments.
D. Available experienced certificated staff with adequate time to effectively supervise the student’s program.
Requests for enrollment in the program are made on an individual basis. The school principal or designee will determine the student's need for independent study and approve or disapprove applications. At least a week’s prior notice is required for short-term independent study of 5-10 days for Grades K-12. The student and/or parent or guardian must submit a complete short-term independent study agreement form. (The principal may provide an extension for good cause with advance notice.) Credit will not be given under the program unless a signed agreement is in effect prior to the start of the Independent Study agreement and all work under the agreement is completed.
4. Written Agreements and Assignments
The Independent Study Agreement must be in writing and must include a required study plan that represents not less than the equivalent of a minimum school day appropriate for the pupil's grade level for every school day covered by the Agreement as set forth below:
Kindergarten - 180 minutes
Grades 1-3 - 230 minutes
Grades 4-8* - 240 minutes
Grades 9-12* - 240 minutes
Continuation School- 180 minutes
*Grades 6-12 - 240 minutes are equivalent to six periods
The written independent study agreement for each participating student shall be maintained on file and shall include, but not be limited to, all the following: (District forms ATD-40a, ATD-40b, ATD-40c, ATD-40m)
A. The manner, frequency, time and place for submitting the student’s assignments and for reporting his/her progress.
B. The objectives and methods of study for the student’s work, and the methods used to evaluate that work. Page 4 of 9
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Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
C. The specific resources, including materials and personnel that will be made available to the student.
D. The District’s independent study policy describing the maximum length of time allowed between an assignment and its completion and the number of missed assignments which will trigger an evaluation of whether the student should be allowed to continue in independent study. Failure to complete assignments on time may result in the termination of the student’s enrollment in the independent study program.
E. The duration of the Independent Study Agreement, including the beginning and ending dates for the student’s participation in independent study under the agreement. No independent study agreement shall be valid for any period longer than one semester, or one-half year for a school on a year-round calendar.
F. A statement of the number of course credits or, for the elementary grades, other measures of academic accomplishment appropriate to the agreement, to be earned by the student upon completion.
G. A statement that independent study is an optional educational alternative in which no student may be required to participate. In the case of a student who is referred or assigned to any school, class or program pursuant to Education Code 48915 or 48917 expulsion provisions, the agreement shall also include the statement that instruction may be provided through independent study only if the student is offered the alternative of classroom instruction.
H. The curriculum and methods of study specified in the written agreement shall be consistent with the Board of Education’s policies, administrative regulations and procedures for curriculum and instruction.
I. The agreement also may include a schedule for achieving objectives and completing the agreement and a schedule of conferences between the student and supervising teacher.
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R8178
Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
Before beginning the independent study, each written agreement shall be signed and dated by the student, the parent/guardian or caregiver of the student less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee designated as responsible for the general supervision of independent study, the principal, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the student.
The agreement shall state that the parent/guardian’s signature confers his/her permission for the student’s independent study as specified in the agreement.
5. Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students participating in independent study shall have the right, continuously, to enter or return to the regular classroom mode of instruction.
Independent study students who are late, miss scheduled conferences or do not submit assigned work on time shall not be reported as tardy or truant. However, the independent study administrator shall promptly and directly address any failure by the student to meet the terms of his/her written agreement. The following supportive strategies may be used:
A. A letter to the student and/or parent/guardian, as appropriate.
B. A special meeting between the student and the teacher and/or counselor.
C. A meeting between the student and the administrator, including the parent/guardian if appropriate.
D. An increase in the amount of time the student works under direct supervision.
When the student has missed the number of assignments specified in Board policy as precipitating an evaluation, the Superintendent or designee shall conduct an evaluation which may result in termination of the independent study agreement, with the student’s return to a regular classroom or alternative instructional program.
Transportation must be furnished by the parent/guardian for students who have opted to participate in the independent study program.
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R8178
Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
6. Attendance Accounting and Records:
District records shall identify all students participating in independent study and shall specify the grade level, program placement and school in which each of these students is enrolled.
Records shall be maintained for audit purposes and shall include the following:
A. A copy of the Board policy, administrative regulation, and procedures related to independent study.
B. A separate listing of the students, by grade level, program and school, who have participated in independent study, identifying units of the curriculum attempted and units of the curriculum completed by students in the grades K-8 Learning Center and identifying course credits attempted by and awarded to students in grades 9-12 and in adult education, as specified in their written agreements.
C. A daily or hourly attendance register, as appropriate to the program in which the students are enrolled, separate from classroom attendance records, and maintained on a current basis as time values of student work products are personally judged by a certificated teacher, and reviewed by the supervising teacher if they are two different persons.
Short-term independent study constitutes the student's total apportionment day. Attendance accounting is a responsibility of the school. When completed, the Short-Term Independent Study Agreement is sent to the District Attendance & Records Technician with one original sample of work attached for an elementary student and one original sample for each class for a secondary student.
A. To receive attendance credit, the student must turn in assigned work by the first school day following the last day of the independent study agreement. Upon receiving assigned work, the certificated supervisor shall evaluate the student's work for academic credit and for attendance credit, indicating academic credit and the number of days of attendance credit earned on the Short-term Independent Study Agreement. Assignments turned in after the
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Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
due date shall be considered "missed assignments" and no attendance credit is allowed, although academic credit may be granted for the late assignments.
B. The certificated supervising teacher shall, after the pupil turns in assignments, estimate the quantity of work completed to determine the days of attendance credit and record the days on the Short-term Independent Study Agreement form.
C. The certificated supervising teacher shall turn in the completed Short-Term Independent Study Agreement form and an original sample of the student's completed assignments within five school days of receiving the assignments to the school office.
The District Attendance and Records Technician shall maintain as District records a file of all original agreements, with representative original samples of each student’s work products bearing signed or initialed and dated notations by the supervising teacher indicating that he/she has personally evaluated the work or that he/she has personally reviewed the evaluations made by another certificated teacher. These files shall be retained for three years to meet state audit requirements.
Each school shall maintain records for the students at that school.
7. Responsibilities of Supervising Teachers:
Each student’s independent study shall be coordinated, evaluated and carried out under the general supervision of a certificated employee at each school. The independent study administrator shall approve the assignment of any teachers who directly supervise independent study on a regular basis. The principal may recommend teachers or students for independent study. The teacher may be the student’s regular classroom teacher, particularly for elementary students. Independent study teachers are responsible for:
A. Completing designated portions of the written agreement and adding additional information to the written agreement when appropriate;
B. Supervising and approving coursework;
C. Designing all lesson plans; Page 8 of 9
R8178
Instruction
Independent Study (continued)
D. Writing the assignments for students;
E. Assessing all student work;
F. Personally judging the time value of assigned work or work products completed and submitted by the student;
G. Selecting and saving with each agreement representative samples of the student’s completed and evaluated assignments on not less than a monthly basis, preferably biweekly;
H. Signing and completing the agreement when the student has reached his/her objectives or the agreement is terminated;
I. Maintaining any required records and files on a current basis.
When appropriate, independent study teachers shall determine and assign grades or other approved measures of achievement.
Reference: California Education Code
46300 Method for Computing Average Daily Attendance
46300.1 Independent Study ADA Accounting
48206.3 Pupils with Temporary Disabilities
51225.3 Requirements for Graduation Beginning 1986-87 School Year
51745-51745.6 Independent Study
56026 Individual with Exceptional Needs
California Code of Regulations, Title 5
11700-11703 Independent Study Programs
Lompoc Unified School District
Approved by Superintendent: January 31, 1980
Revised: September 14, 1995; November 14, 2002 Page 9 of 9