The Board of Education authorizes independent study as an optional alternative instructional strategy for eligible students whose needs may be best met through study outside of the traditional classroom setting. Independent study may be offered to students by a school under the supervision of the principal (or designee) and/or from district-designated locations which meet the requirements of law.

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage parents/guardians desiring to teach their students at home to have their students participate in independent study. Such participation allows continued contact and cooperation between the school system and the home-based student.

Independent Study Programming

Independent study shall offer a means of individualizing the educational plan to serve students who desire an alternative educational experience, whose health or other personal circumstances make classroom attendance difficult, who are unable to access courses due to scheduling problems, and/or who need to make up credits or fill gaps in their learning, enabling students to reach curriculum objectives, meet college and career goals, and fulfill graduation requirements. As necessary to meet student needs, independent study may be offered on a full-time basis or on a part- time basis in conjunction with part or full-time classroom study.

The Superintendent or designee may provide a variety of independent study opportunities, including, but not limited to, a program or class within a comprehensive school, an alternative school or program of choice, a home-based format, or online coursework.

Independent Study Programming - Definitions

A short-term independent study contract may be requested from a student’s school of attendance for a temporary, short-term absence from school that is not less than five (5) school days per contract and not to exceed a total of 15 cumulative instructional days per school year.  The contract should be requested a minimum of five (5) school days prior to commencement of independent study. The intent of the contract is to provide continuity of instruction for the student in the event of an emergency, vacation, or similar short-term need.

Short term independent study agreements may be signed at any time during the school year in which the independent study takes place.

A long-term independent study contract is for a period of up to one school year and may not span two school years. Absent exceptional circumstances, students receiving education via a long-term independent study contract are enrolled in a district-approved program supporting this type of instruction (e.g., Independent Study, Virtual or Home School programs such as IUSD Virtual Academy).

While enrolled in independent study, students may receive instruction via both asynchronous and synchronous methods. Synchronous instruction is live instruction with real-time interaction between the student and teacher. This can occur via electronic methods visually or verbally (e.g., Zoom or phone call). Asynchronous instruction is when the teaching and learning do not occur at the same time for the teacher and student, thus the teacher has assigned a video or work for independent completion and is not providing real-time live assistance and monitoring.

Independent Study Programming - Requirements

Students shall be offered a standards-based education substantially aligned to grade level content standards that is equivalent in quality and quantity to the District's classroom instruction and permit students to complete the adopted course of study within customary time frames. Students shall have access to the same services and resources available to other students in the school and have equal rights and privileges. The District shall not provide students (or parents/guardians) in independent study with funds or items of value that are not provided to other students enrolled in the traditional education program.

For high school programming this shall include access to all courses offered for graduation and approved by the University of California and the California State University for credit under the A-G admissions criteria. Additionally, for course-based certification, courses are to be annually certified by the governing board that the courses are of the same rigor and educational quality as classroom-based courses, and are aligned to all relevant state and local content standards. Courses are taught under the general supervision of an appropriately certified teacher. Students age 21 or older, and students age 19 or older who have not been continuously enrolled in school since their 18th birthday, may participate in independent study only through the adult education program for the purpose of enrolling in courses required for a high school diploma by Education Code 51225.3 or the Governing Board. (Education Code 46300.1, 46300.4) In addition, the District may not offer courses required for high school graduation exclusively through independent study.

Through independent study, the District will provide opportunities for synchronous instruction and live interaction which, at minimum, will include:

• For students in grades 3 and below, daily synchronous instruction for all students throughout the school year;
• For students in grades 4 through 8, daily live interaction and at least weekly synchronous instruction for all students throughout the school year; and
• For students in grades 9 through 12, at least weekly synchronous instruction for all students throughout the school year.

Independent Study Programming - Eligibility

A student participating in the District’s independent study must be eligible to enroll in the District and meet established applicable age and residency requirements.

As required by law, a student with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 56026, may not participate in course-based independent study unless the individualized education program specifically permits participation. (Education Code 51745)

A temporarily disabled student, as defined by law, shall not receive individual instruction by means of independent study, and may be referred to the home-hospital program if eligible. (Education Code 51745)

No more than 10 percent of the students enrolled in a alternative high school or opportunity school or program, not including pregnant and parenting students who are primary caregivers for one or more of their children, shall be eligible for apportionment credit for independent study.

Students or parents/guardians of students who are interested in independent study should contact their site principal, the Superintendent, or the Superintendent’s designee. No student may be required by the school to participate in independent study. Participation in independent study requires an appropriate and acceptable reason for the request.

The District is required to notify the parents of all enrolled students of the option to enroll in either in-person instruction or independent study during the 2021-2022 school year. This notice shall include all components required by law and shall be placed on the District’s website. (Ed. Code, § 51747(h).)

Requirements for Participation in Independent Study

Upon the request of the parent/guardian of a student, before making a decision about enrolling or disenrolling in independent study and entering into a Written Agreement to do so, the District shall conduct a telephone, videoconference, or in-person student- parent-educator conference or other meeting during which the student, parent/guardian, or their advocate may ask questions about the educational options, including which curriculum offerings and nonacademic supports will be available to the student in independent study. (Ed. Code, § 51747.)

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that each participating student has an executed written independent study agreement with the District as prescribed by law. Individual independent study agreements and any subordinate student contracts and assignments must be consistent with the District-adopted course of study. The maximum duration of a written independent study agreement is one school year. (Ed. Code, § 51747.)

Except as otherwise provided in this policy, the Written Agreement must be signed before the commencement of independent study. It must be signed by: (1) the student, and the student’s parent or guardian if the student is less than 18 years of age; (2) the certificated employee designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of the independent study course; and (3) anyone else who will have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the student. If a student is less than 18 years, signature of the parent or guardian is sufficient. Written Agreements may be signed using an electronic signature that complies with state and federal standards. For the 2021-2022 school year only, the Written Agreement may be signed not later than 30 days after the first day of instruction.

The required components of the Written Agreement may be unilaterally modified by the District at any time to reflect operative law.

Student and Staff Responsibilities and Requirements Work Completion

For students in grades Kindergarten through 12, an original representative work sample is one day’s worth of assignments. For these students, the maximum length of time which may elapse between the time an assignment is made and the date by which the student must complete the assigned work is one school week (five school days). This is, in part, because excessive leniency in the duration of independent study assignments may result in a student falling behind his/her peers and increase the risk of dropping out of school.

However, when necessary, based on the specific circumstances of the student's approved program, the Superintendent or designee may allow for a longer period of time between the dates an assignment is made and when it is due, up to the termination date of the Written Agreement.

When a student fails to complete three independent study assignments, an evaluation will be conducted to determine whether the student is making satisfactory educational progress (see below).

Addressing Student Participation

When students are not making satisfactory educational progress in one or more courses, or are not generating attendance for more than three school days or 60 percent of the instructional days per week, or are in violation of the Written Agreement, staff will attempt tiered reengagement strategies.

These District re-engagement strategies and plan includes, but is not limited to:

• verification of current contact information;
• absence notification to parents or guardians within one school day of absence or lack of participation through the District’s notification system for the first and subsequent absences;
• at three absences/missing assignments, outreach via the teacher of record to discuss or resolve any barriers to success and to determine student needs.
• at six absences/missing assignments, the School Attendance Review Board process will be initiated. The student’s counselor will be contacted for further intervention including potentially referral to the school intervention team, or connecting with health and social services as necessary; and
• at eight absences/missing assignments, convening a student-parent-educator conference to review the student’s Written Agreement and conduct the “evaluation” which reconsiders the student’s progress and the impact of independent study on the student’s achievement and well-being.

Returning to School-Based Attendance

  A plan to transition a student whose family wishes the student return to in-person instruction from independent study shall be developed and implemented expeditiously, and in no case, later than five instructional days  from receipt of the request to return, or per the agreement made in a student-parent-educator conference.

Administration of Independent Study Administrator Responsibilities

The Superintendent or designee will oversee the independent study program and is responsible for the following:

1. Ensuring independent study occurs in accordance with state laws and District policy and regulations.
2. Approving or denying the enrollment of students in independent study.
3. Facilitating the completion of written independent study agreements.
4. Approving credits earned via independent study and assuring these credits become a part of the student's permanent record.
5. Authorizing the selection of all staff assigned to supervise independent study students.
6. Coordinating the preparation of all necessary records and reports.
7. Establishing and maintaining all records required by state regulations to ensure an accurate attendance accounting audit trail for average daily attendance reported by the District.
8. Monitoring independent study enrollment districtwide to maintain statutory guidelines and maximize District revenue without compromising program quality.
9. Developing and maintaining the program budget. Supervising Teachers

In addition to duties required by the collective bargaining agreement and traditional job description, certificated staff assigned to supervise students enrolled in short-term or long-term independent study programming shall complete the following:

1. Complete designated portions of the Written Agreement, and add additional information as appropriate.
2. Maintain accurate records, including hourly, daily, or weekly attendance registers, as necessary.
3. Approve and supervise all course work, and proctor examinations.
4. Design lesson plans and make assignments. Contribute to course development of online or offline content.
5. Maintain records of student assignments showing the date the assignment is given and the date the assignment is due.
6. Provide direct instruction as necessary for individual student success and as required by law.
7. Maintain an accurate gradebook. Monitor student progress and meet with the student to discuss such progress. Communicate progress with students and parents/guardians.
8. Assess student work, evaluate course work and determine and assign grades/credits or other approved measures of academic progress and student achievement. This includes judging the time value of assigned work or work products completed and submitted by the student.
9. At the completion or termination of the period of the Written Agreement, conduct a final evaluation of student performance.
   1. Select and maintain representative samples of the student’s completed and evaluated assignments, from each subject area, demonstrating progress towards the learning targets. The Superintendent or designee shall determine best practices for the collection and maintenance of work samples. The instructor is not required to sign and date the work products.
   2. If the student has completed their educational objectives or the agreement was terminated, sign-off on the Written Agreement.
   3. Provide the signed Written Agreement and the work samples to the attendance/records staff member at the student’s school of record.

The independent study teacher or administrator shall promptly and directly address any failure by the student to meet the terms of the Written Agreement. This includes, but is not limited to, applicable statewide accountability measures, the completion of assignments, examinations, or other indicators that the student is working on assignments, progression towards mastery of the learning targets, and progression towards course completion. In addition to items otherwise listed in this document, the following supportive strategies should be considered:

1. A letter or digital communication to the student and/or parent/guardian.
2. A meeting between the student and the teacher and/or counselor.
3. A meeting between the student and the independent study administrator, including the parent/guardian if appropriate.
4. An increase in the amount of time the student works under direct supervision.

Records

The District will maintain independent study records as required by law. This includes, but is not limited to the requirement that the District will maintain written or computer-based evidence of satisfactory educational progress (at minimum, a grade book or summary document listing all assignments, examinations, and associated grades for each course). The District records will 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 (e.g., school of residence, IUSD Virtual Academy, or other school).

Each school shall maintain records for the students enrolled in that school/site. These records shall include, but are not be limited to, the following:

1. A copy of the board policy, administrative regulations, and procedures related to independent study.
2. A separate listing of the students, by grade level, program, and school, who participated in independent study. For students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, this listing shall identify units of the curriculum attempted and units of the curriculum completed. For students in grades 9 through 12 (as well as adult education), this record will identify course credits attempted by and awarded to students, as specified in the students’ Written Agreements.
3. All current and active written independent study agreements for every participating student.
4. All completed written independent study agreements and, to the extent necessary and practicable, a representative sample of student work completed and evaluated. (Teacher notations of evaluation of the student work may be substituted for an actual sample of the work performed. This file shall be easily accessible to district or state auditors and should be kept in the school attendance office.)
5. A daily, hourly, or weekly attendance register, as appropriate to the program in which the student is participating. The attendance register shall document each student’s daily participation in live interaction and synchronous instruction on each school day, as applicable, and time values of student work products, as judged by a certificated teacher, and reviewed by the supervising teacher if they are two different persons. A student who does not participate in independent study on a school day shall be documented as non-participatory for that school day.
6. A permanent student record of independent study performance for students participating in full-time long-term independent study.

The above records shall be maintained for three years, excluding the current fiscal year. The Superintendent or designee also shall maintain a record of grades and other evaluations issued to each student for independent study assignments. It is the responsibility of each school to maintain the records for the students enrolled at that school.