Independent Study Hub
Welcome to the Independent Study Hub. If you’re thinking about Independent Study (IS) for your student, here’s what to know. Your school’s office can answer any questions.
What is Independent Study?
IS lets enrolled students keep up with the core curriculum outside the regular classroom, with a plan built around them. It can help if your student will be away from school for an extended time. IS is always optional: no student can be required to participate or placed in IS without a parent or guardian’s written consent.
Not every Aspire school offers IS, and some offer only short-term IS (15 school days or fewer per year). Check with your school.
How to request it
Send a written request to your Principal at least two weeks before you’d like IS to start. Before signing anything, you can ask for a meeting (by phone, video, or in person) to talk through options and supports, and you can bring an education advocate. The Principal makes the final decision.
Your student’s agreement
Every IS student has a written agreement, good for up to one school year. It spells out what your student will study, how and when work is turned in, how progress is shared with you, the supports and resources your student will get (including a device and internet access if needed), and the credits or progress they’ll earn. For IS longer than 15 school days, it must be signed before IS begins.
What IS looks like day-to-day
Your student has a credentialed teacher who supervises and grades their work. Assignments are due within five school days unless the teacher allows more time. Attendance is taken every day, based on completed work and participation in live instruction.
For IS of 16 or more school days, students also get regular live time with school staff:
| Grades | What Aspire provides |
| TK–3 | Live instruction with a teacher every day |
| 4–8 | A daily check-in, plus live instruction at least weekly |
| 9–12 | Live instruction at least weekly |
If your student falls behind
If a student in IS for more than 15 days misses three assignments in 20 school days, or isn’t on track to move to the next grade or meet their IEP goals, the school will meet with you and your student to decide together whether IS is still the right fit. For longer-term IS, the school will also contact you within one school day of a missed day and reach out to see what your student needs, including connections to health and social services.
Coming back to the classroom
For students in IS 16 or more days, send a written request to return to in-person learning. If there’s space, your student will be back in class within five school days, with help settling in. If there isn’t, the school will help you enroll in your local district and add your student to the waitlist.
Good to know
Students with IEPs can participate in IS when their IEP team agrees it’s the right placement. IS students have the same access to school services and resources as every other student, and high schoolers can take all of the school’s graduation and A-G approved courses. Some timelines above don’t apply to students in IS for medical or inpatient treatment. Students with a temporary disability may qualify for Home and Hospital instruction instead. To be eligible, students must live in the school’s county or a county right next to it.
Some schools use an online platform such as Edgenuity for IS. For device or internet help, visit Tech Support. To check grades and attendance, use the PowerSchool parent portal.