CCIS wanted to offer a resource for reviewing the differences between Independent Study and the new SB98 Distance Learning requirements
Remember, NO changes or alterations have been made to Independent Study Regulations or Guidelines. If you have been operating an Independent Study program or school, you do not need to make any legal changes. The new Distance Learning option is only for the 20-21 school year and is separate from Independent Study. We have provided a reference chart for you. This is not a legal document, it is solely meant as a reference.
Independent Study vs Distant Learning
This is a reference document only. The information provided does not constitute legal advice. CCIS strongly recommends that schools contact their legal counsel or their auditor before acting on any information contained herein.
| Independent Study | Distance Learning/Hybrid DL | Course Based | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Policy and approval
Master Agreement |
Only the 20-21 school year SB98 delivery and attendance guidance | Don’t get confused **need prior board approval **Separate from Ind Study | |
| Required daily minutes | 240 minutes per day, seat time not counted | 240 minutes per day, can be combination of DL and seat time | Guidelines in EC 51749.5 |
| Documenting IS/DL instructional time | Teacher determines time value of work assigned to students | Teacher determines time value of work assigned to students through DL requirements | Guidelines in EC 51749.5 |
| Required teacher contact | No state requirement. Local decision. | Daily live interaction. Not sure what audit guidelines will ask in terms of evidence of this. *See FAQ link above | Daily interaction
EC 51749.5 |
| Credential requirements | Minimum credential of any subject matter as long as preparatory work included student teaching.
A-G requires subject matter expert ESSA – not clear yet what requirements are |
Must have credential in field of instruction. | Guidelines EC 51749.5 |
| Attendance reporting | Time value of student work produced | Time value of student work produced | EC 51749.5 |
| Required documentation | Master agreement
Always Voluntary Work samples |
Audit guidelines are being developed | EC 51749.5 |
| ADA / Teacher ADA restriction | ADA per teacher calculation must be done for IS program/school and for average district seat time. Any ADA claimed through IS that is higher than average district seat time ratio is not reimbursed. | No ADA/Teacher ADA restriction | EC 51749.5 |
| Restrictions on student work submitted for attendance reporting | Missed assignments are not given attendance credit if submitted late. Unsubmitted work can be reassigned to the following week. | None at this time | EC 51749.5 |
Hello CCIS. I am writing to ask a few very important questions in regard to Independent Study logistics during the Covid-19 pandemic. My name is Joan Weidmann and I am the general education IS teacher for the ABC Unified School District. ABC is starting the 2020 -2021 school year with an entirely virtual learning platform. Since in-person contact will be extremely limited, I am concerned about how I will get needed signatures. Specifically, on the Master Agreement. At the last CCIS conference held in Irvine, it was unclear if electronic signatures are legally acceptable. During the pandemic, are “wet” signatures mandatory, or can I accept electronic signatures from parents and students? Please let me know the answers as soon as you have a chance. Your time is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Joan E. Weidmann, Teacher, ABC Secondary School, Independent Study Program.
Updated on July 31st: The CDE’s FAQ in #16 states that an LEA that offers an independent study program will need to ensure that the statutory distance learning requirements listed in SB 98 are met to avoid audit penalties in addition to continuing to meet the independent study requirements established in Article 5.5 of the Education Code.
Three follow up questions for this new information:
1) Do the daily live interactions need to be with the same teacher everyday? I have an IS kindergarten class at my school and we were hoping the two teachers could trade off doing live Zooms with the two classes together.
2) Do the daily live interactions apply to our families that we completely learning from home prior to the closures? We have an classroom based IS program that has both hybrid classes (on campus 2-3 days a week) and homebased classes (at home everyday).
3) Will you edit the post above, to address this new information?
In regards to the CDE’s FAQ #16 in the above mentioned link, how is it related to no changes with Independent Study regarding daily live interaction and the engagement record regarding synchronous and asynchronous contact?
We are looking at going to course based independent study for our online courses. Do you have a sample learning agreement or know of a program that I can contact?