Independent Study 

(AV)

Mr Williams, Independent Study Back To School Night (2021-08-24 at 15:13 GMT-7)

APPLICATION

PROCESS

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THROUGH AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE STEPS BELOW. BE SURE TO START WITH STEP 1 BELOW AND WATCH THE “HOW TO” VIDEO. THE STEPS BELOW WILL EXPLAIN HOW THE APPLICATION FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT AND WHO TO SEND IT TO AFTER YOU HAVE COMPETED THE APPLICATION.  IF YOU ARE A RETURNING INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENT YOU DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION BELOW AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN ENROLLED IN INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR THE Previous SCHOOL YEAR. IF YOU ARE A STUDENT ATTEMPTING TO ENROLL IN INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR THE FIRST TIME THEN FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW.



STEP 1: WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW ON HOW TO DOWNLOAD AND FILL OUT THE INDEPENDENT STUDY APPLICATION

The video below will explain how you can download and fill out the online Independent Study application.  It will also explain what you need to do with the application after you have completely filled it out.  Please take a few moments to watch the entire video.  It should clear up any questions that you may have.


STEP 2: DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE THE INDEPENDENT STUDY APPLICATION BELOW

The independent Study application is available below in both English and Spanish. Both applications are editable PDF files.  You must download the application to your device first, then you will be able to fill it in.  Please watch the video above in Step 1. It explains how to fill out the application and save all of the information you have entered into the application.


Indepent study Master Agreement.pdf

STEP 3: EMAIL THE COMPLETED INDEPENDENT STUDY APPLICATION TO YOU COUNSELOR

Below you will see a list of each school counselor by school site.  Your counselor is based on your school site and your last name. Find your counselor below and email him/her your completed Independent Study application that you downloaded from above in Step 2.


Copy-of-Virtual-Contact-Master-List-Sheet1.pdf

STEP 4: WAIT A FEW DAYS FOR YOUR COUNSELOR TO CONTACT YOU TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Give your counselor a few days to review your Independent Study application.  Upon review by your counselor, they will contact you via email or telephone to let you know of your Independent Study application was approved.  If it is approved they will schedule an appointment with you in a virtual setting.  If you do not hear from your counselor within a few days after you emailed him/her your competed Independent Study application, send your counselor a reminder email and they will contact you as soon as they can. During your appointment with your counselor, after being approved for independent study, you will be assigned your first two classes in Independent Study by your counselor.


STEP 5: AFTER YOU HAVE MET WITH YOUR COUNSELOR, YOUR INDEPENDENT STUDY TEACHER WILL CONTACT YOU TO SCHEDULE AN ORIENTATION

After having been accepted into Independent Study and having met with your counselor, you will be assigned to an Independent Study teacher.  Your independent study teacher will contact you a couple of days after you have met with your counselor to set up an orientation.  During the orientation you will be introduced to your Independent Study teacher and your Independent Study teacher will explain the rules and expectations of being a student in the Independent Study program.  Your Independent Study teacher will also explain how you will use this website to access course materials and submit your work.


More information @ Independent Study can be found below...


Welcome to Antelope Valley Independent Study

Independent study is a different way of learning. In independent study, a student is guided by a teacher but usually does not take classes with other students every day. The student works independently. Students who participate in independent study take the same courses as students in regular classes. Students and parents choose this type of study on their own. 

The purpose of independent study is to provide an alternative education program and setting for students. Independent study programs are voluntary and use alternative instructional strategies that respond to individual student needs and learning styles. 

The flexibility of independent study programs makes it possible to serve a wide variety of students, enabling some students who otherwise might not graduate to stay in school. Students who enroll in independent study include students who have health problems, are parents, need to work, and students who find that regular classroom settings do not meet their needs. Additionally, independent study serves students who desire to accelerate or move more slowly through a course, or to make up a subject that they have missed in a traditional classroom. Independent study programs are required to follow the district-adopted curriculum, and work is governed by a written agreement signed by the student, teacher, parent, and other relevant adults. 

Independent study is not for all students—especially at the high school level. Independent study requires basic academic skills and a level of commitment, motivation, organizational skills, and self-direction not unlike the level required by college students. 



Independent Study 

Independent Study (IS) is a self-paced voluntary program where students complete courses at home  and receive variable credits for passing grades on assignments and exams. Exams are taken under the  supervision of the teacher. Students are expected to make adequate progress to remain on IS. Students and parents submit an IS application and are approved by a school counselor and a school  site administrator. Report cards are not issued to students in IS. Credits are recorded directly on the  transcript after being verified and submitted by the IS teacher. An IEP team meeting is required to  determine the appropriateness of the placement for students receiving special education services. 



How Independent Study Works

What is the course content in independent study? 

Independent study is established by local governing boards as an alternative delivery method for providing instruction in the core curriculum. EC Section 51745(a)(1–5).

 It is an instructional strategy for delivering California’s standards-based, grade level content; not an alternative curriculum, and is expected to be equal in quality to classroom instruction. EC Section 51745(a)(3)

The Independent Study Written Agreement (also known as the Master Agreement) outlines the course of study for each independent study student. EC Section 51747(c)

Additional details that will help the parent/guardian/caregiver and student understand the learning goals are provided on subsidiary agreements such as course contracts, assignment and work record forms, and curriculum guides. 

What is required on a weekly basis: 

Monday-Thursday 

Ed Code 46300.7.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no school district or county office of education shall receive apportionments for any pupil in independent study unless that entity receives written permission from the parent or guardian of the pupil prior to the commencement of independent study by that pupil. The written permission shall specify the actual dates of participation, the methods of study and evaluation, and the resources to be made available for the independent study program for the pupil.(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 66, Sec. 29. Effective June 30, 1993.)Legal Requirements for Independent StudyA comprehensive list of basic requirements for operating a legally compliant independent study program.California Education Code (EC) Section 51747 requires that local educational agencies that claim apportionment for independent study must first adopt and implement written specified policies relating to independent study. The required written policies must be developed as specified in the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11701.In addition to the required written policies, the following are legal requirements for apportionment:Every student engaged in independent study must be enrolled in a specified school of a school district or county office of education (EC Section 51748). This enrollment should be evident from the written agreement.The Average Daily Attendance (ADA) for independent study must fall within the teacher-to-ADA limits set by EC Section 51745.6 to be eligible for apportionment.Students who are age nineteen to twenty-one must have been continuously enrolled since their eighteenth birthday for their ADA to be eligible for kindergarten through grade twelve apportionments (EC Section 46300.1).No ADA may be claimed from independent study until the written agreement is completed (EC sections 46300.7, 51747[c][8]).No ADA is earned unless (i.e., "to the extent that") supervising teacher judgments of the time value of pupil or student work have been made personally in each instance (i.e., assignment) for each student engaged in independent study (EC Section 51747.5).No ADA from independent study may be claimed by a district if it has provided any funds or other things of value to the student or his or her parent, guardian, or caregiver that the district does not provide to students who attend regular classes (EC Section 51747.3[a]).No ADA is earned from the independent study of any student who resides outside the local county or the adjoining county (EC Section 51747.3[b]).