Introduction to Independent Studies

FOR SOME STUDENTS, starting at the OASIS Program can be a challenging experience. Studying via the independent study model rather than the classroom model can be exciting, rewarding, demanding, and can also be very difficult at first. Students are often misled by the idea of attending school for fewer hours per week, and they mistakenly believe that they will do less work and have lots of “free” time. However, this is not the case.

How it works:

Independent study works differently from traditional programs in many ways. One factor that often causes initial confusion is the way attendance is recorded. A student earns attendance not from “seat time” but from completing work that has been assigned for the week. Hence, if a student comes to an appointment with no work completed, the attendance is equivalent to the student missing school for five days! The work assigned in independent study is not homework; it is the coursework!

Another difference is that the teachers at the OASIS Program are not like classroom teachers. While all of them are credentialed and have taught in the classroom at one time, the OASIS teachers' roles are to evaluate what the students are learning INDEPENDENTLY, to encourage the students to stretch at least a little beyond their immediate grasp, and to assign material that will allow the students continually to expand their skills.

The weekly appointments or classes are very important to the independent study method of instruction. Teachers use this time to evaluate student progress and to determine which new assignments will be challenging to the student. It is also their opportunity to get to know the student's individual strengths and weaknesses. This allows the teacher to tailor the assignments to each student's needs. If a student is ill, the teacher must be notified early in the morning of the absence.

Questions by parents:

Parents who have questions about homework of anything else should either e-mail or call the teacher. We all have phones at our desks, but we do NOT answer the phone during student appointments. Please try NOT to call students during their appointment time to deliver messages, as this is the same as interrupting a class.

Keys to success:

We hope that learninng at OASIS will be a rewarding experience for all students who choose to attend. The information that follows is key to success for any OASIS students:

• Appointments: This is the student's time to have focused attention.
• Be on time: Bring completed assignments organized in a binder or folders.
• Call early in the morning if you are ill and must be absent: All work is due within 24 hours of any absence. Parents or a friend may drop off the work during the student's appointment time or at another time by arrangement and pick up the new assignments at that same time. Parents wishing to confer with teachers need to make appointments so as not to encroach on another student's appointment time.
• Earning credit: Credit is based on the quantity and quality of the work you complete. Teachers will assign work and grant hours of credit based on how much work was completed and the quality of that work. Much of the assessment takes place through discussion between the student and the teacher at the weekly meeting. Missed apoointments impact the learning process negatively.
• Weekly Assignment Sheets: Each teacher provides each student with a weekly assignment sheet detailing the work the student is expected to complete that week. The teacher's e-mail address and phone number at her desk are on the sheet. Students are expected to call for clarification during the week if they are unsure how to complete an assignment.
• Student Responsibilitiy: Successful independent study relies on studnts taking responsibility for active involvement in their own education. This includes setting up their weekly schedule, completing assignments, attending appointments and supplemental classes if required on time, and doing their best work always.