6158.1 AR - Independent Study/Home Schooling Program

Instruction      
Administrative Regulation No.  6158.1
Regulation Reviewed:  December 12, 2002

INDEPENDENT STUDY/HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM 

Criteria


Approval of independent study contracts shall be based on the following criteria:      

1.    Evidence that the student can work independently.      

2.     Evidence that the student will work to complete the program.      

3.     Availability of a certificated teacher with adequate time to supervise the student effectively.      

4.     An acceptable written statement of educational objectives conforming to state content standards and means of accomplishing them.      

5.     An acceptable reason for requesting participation in the Independent     Study/Home Schooling Program requires the approval of the Home Schooling Administrator, the student and the student’s parent or guardian.      

Independent Study/Home Schooling Contracts

An Independent Study Contract shall be executed for each participating student twice a year.  The Independent Study/Home Schooling Contract for a student shall represent the equivalent of a regular school day for the student’s grade level and shall include:      

1.     A statement of the student’s educational needs.      

2.     The title and major objectives of the course of study.               

3.     The major activities and/or study materials by which the student plans to achieve the course objectives.      

4.     The manner in which achievement of objectives and competencies will be evaluated.      

5.     The manner, time and place of reporting progress.      

6.     The timeline for achieving objectives and completing the contract.      

7.     A statement of the number of credits to be earned, i.e., one semester’s credit.      

8.     A schedule of conferences between the student and the resource teacher.      

9.     The signatures of the student, the student’s parent or guardian, the certificated person supervising the program and any other person besides school staff who will be assisting the student.  

Responsibilities of Home Schooling Administrator

The Home Schooling Administrator shall:      

1.     Ensure that the program adheres to District Policy, Administrative Regulation and State law.      

2.     Approve the enrollment of all students and facilitate the completion of independent contracts.      

3.     Approve all independent study credits and forward this information to the appropriate school personnel so that it becomes part of the student’s records.      

4.     Make recommendations to the Personnel Department to hire independent study teachers and other personnel involved in the program.                   

5.     Complete or coordinate all necessary records and reports, including submittal of all necessary enrollment and attendance information.      

6.     Monitor enrollment.      

7.     Develop and manage the Independent Study/Home Schooling Program budget.      

Independent Study/Home Schooling Program Teachers

1.     Teachers in the program shall be approved by the Independent Study/ Home Schooling Program Administrator and hired by the district.

2.     Teachers shall meet with the parent and student at regularly scheduled times     to assign work and assess progress.

3.    Independent Study/Home Schooling Program teachers shall complete appropriate portions of the contract, add additional information when appropriate, supervise and approve course work and sign the contract at the completion of the program.      

4.     Resource teachers in the program shall determine and assign grades when appropriate.  

Records

The Independent Study/Home Schooling Program Administrator shall maintain records for the students enrolled in the program.  Records shall include, but not be limited to, the following:          

1.    A copy of the District Policy, Administrative Regulation and Procedures related to the program.                              
2.     A file of all agreements.     

3.     A list of students participating in the program and credits attempted by and awarded to students by agreement.      

4.     An attendance register separate from other attendance.      

5.     A record of grades issued or semesters completed satisfactorily.      

6.     Representative samples of each student’s work.  Units/semesters earned may be applied toward eighth grade graduation and, therefore, shall be coordinated with the school involved. (In the event of a dispute regarding grades given, the parents/guardians and the student have a right of appeal).     

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
Parents/Guardians will:      

1.     Maintain weekly activity sheets, reflecting activities and sequence of home school instruction.  These activity sheets will be submitted at the end of each attendance period (monthly) with a verification of the instructional minutes requirement.

2.     Provide 4-5 samples of the student’s work to be attached to the monthly Assignment Record Sheet, which is completed and turned in by the Resource Teacher at the end of each attendance period.

3.    Conference with their assigned Resource Teacher monthly to discuss the student’s progress, plan for the next month’s instruction and to determine any assistance they will need from the district.

4.     Complete at the end of each semester an evaluation report which will include a summary sheet of main events, curriculum and activities, field experiences and materials covered during the semester.      

5.     Actively review to ensure compliance with state content standards.

6.     Participate in Independent Study / Home Schooling Program meetings.

7.     Return books, non-expendable supplies, materials and equipment purchased     by the district funds for the Home Schooling Program. These materials will be available for check-out by families registered in the program.      

School District Responsibilities
The District shall:      

1.     Provide a Parent Handbook      

2.     Provide copies of grade level content standards adopted by the District

3.     Meet with parents to review an appropriate learning plan for the student.      

4.     Review grade level materials and curricula expectations for the student.      

5.     Meet with the parent/guardian and/or student to assess student progress and to review student’s work.      
6.     Recommend appropriate instructional methodologies and additional learning objectives to the parent/guardian.      

7.     Provide opportunities for networking with other home schooling families.      

8.     Gather parents/guardians’ suggestions and input through meetings and questionnaires, etc.      

9.     Inform all program participants of the Independent Study / Home Schooling     Program.

10.     Provide parents with information regarding student participation opportunities that will include but not be limited to after-school activities of the District.     

11.     Provide a directory of program participants.  

13.    Provide testing services, if requested.

Instructional Time

The Education Code recognizes home schooling as predominantly tutorial-type teaching. The District Independent Study/Home Schooling Program acknowledges that instruction at home is performed through an intensive one-to-one format between parent and child.                         

Parents/guardians are responsible for providing a weekly minimum instructional period of:
1,000 minutes for kindergarten
1,400 minutes for grades 1-3
1,550 minutes for grades 4-8
for 180 instructional days.

The instructional days shall be aligned with the Board school year calendar.      

Assessment

An assessment report of student progress will be provided at the end of each trimester by the parent/guardian. The assessment should include an assessment intended to improve the instructional program for the student. 
Each family will develop an assessment plan to address the following questions:      

1.     How is our child and the program we designated working?      

2.     What are the areas of strength and/or weakness?      

3.     How can we refine the program?      

4.     How do we compare objective data with our own subjectivity?      

5.     Where are we in the educational continuum?   

Evaluative Instruments shall include the following:      

1.     The Independent/Home Schooling Program tests, developed by the publishers of our books, shall be administered as needed for placement or for information needed regarding the student.

2.     CAT6--A standardized test given in the district, usually in late April /beginning of May

3.     Other types of tests which may be available in the future.

 

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