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Donnell Jordan |
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Lloyd Porter |
When it comes to independent study, there is no "typical student," says Donnell Jordan, an independent home supervising teacher in the Desert Sands Unified School District.
Every kid has a different reason for not keeping up in school. "Some of them get distracted by social aspects in the classroom and can't get work done unless they work independently. Some are training to be golf pros, tennis players and ice skaters. Some have jobs and are working to support their families. Some of them don't go to school for religious reasons, perhaps because their parents don't want them to learn about evolution."
No matter what the reason, students tell him the same thing: They get more work assigned to them in independent study than they do in a regular classroom.
"This goes against the stereotype that students in independent study do nothing and get away with it," says Jordan. "I tell anyone who says this to come and see what we do. Students must do the work if they want to stay in independent study. If they fall three weeks behind, we exit them out of the program."
"If you can't do the work, you're out," agrees Lloyd Porter, an independent study teacher at La Entrada High School in Yorba Linda. "Students have to turn in the work. Their work is evaluated, and then students are given a test every week."
Both Jordan and Porter are members of CTA's Board of Directors and serve on the Alternative Education Committee.
How schools implement independent study programs varies widely. In Jordan's district, for example, there are several independent study teachers who have credentials in their subject matter. Students spend at least 15 minutes with each teacher during their hour-long visit each week. In Porter's district, on the other hand, students see the same teacher for one to two hours each week.
Some students attend separate schools for independent study; others enroll in independent study programs on regular campuses.
The students have the advantage of doing schoolwork when and where they choose.
Disadvantages include a lack of social interaction and access to such things as lab sciences and foreign languages. Some students opt to take a few regular classes on campus in addition to enrolling in independent study, and all district students are allowed to attend dances, sporting events, etc.
Independent study has come under criticism recently. According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, independent study schools are getting almost no students ready for four-year colleges.
"A lot of these kids wouldn't be in school at all if they weren't in independent study," counters Porter. Some of his students were bullied by others because of their sexual orientation. One was in the witness protection program.
Porter estimates 25 percent of his students attend community college after receiving a high school diploma. A few go on to four-year colleges.
"Independent study is a program a lot of people don't even know exists," says Porter. "I didn't for a long time. But once I got to work with kids on a one-to-one basis, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I feel as though I am really making a difference."
