• Independent Study Update

    This school year the Independent Learning Academy will house all of the district Independent Study programs in the district. This includes a new program for elementary students TK-5 and an additional traditional model to go along with our course-based model currently offered at the Independent Learning Academy. Here are brief descriptions of the programs:

    Elementary Independent Study: All students in all grades will receive daily live (online) instruction in English Language Arts and mathematics. The remaining subjects will be primarily offered asynchronously and the students will be working independently. In addition, help sessions will be available every afternoon. Students will be assigned one teacher who will be responsible for all of their instruction, grading, and progress monitoring. Students may return to in-person instruction within 5 days of the request. Every effort will be made to place the student at their school of residence, but a student may have to attend a different Burbank Unified elementary school. Independent Learning Academy (ILA) staff will be reaching out to enroll families that are currently in the program and to those that indicated they wanted Independent Study for the fall. New this year is that students will not be allowed to begin instruction until a master agreement for Independent Study has been signed by the parent.

    Secondary Independent Study: The secondary Independent Study program will consist of two different models, the course-based model, and the traditional model. Both models allow for students to take up to two live in-person classes at their regular, comprehensive school.

    Course-based- The course-based model is 1-2 classes at a time. The courses must be completed in 22 days in order to go on to the next course. High School students will have live (online) instruction 1-2 times per week (depending on how many courses they are taking); middle school students will have live (online) instruction 1-2 times per week, but will also be provided with a daily live check-in. The rest of the time, the students will be expected to work daily on their assignments independently. Best for students who do better focusing on one course at a time and for students who want to accelerate. This is also best for students who plan to stay in independent study for the whole year.

    Traditional model- In this model, the students take 6 courses at a time, but they have the entire semester to complete the courses, just like in-person learning. Students in this model will have at least one live (online) session per week with each of their classes. In addition, they will be responsible for asynchronous work to be done independently. This model is best for students who may want to return to in-person learning at some point during the school year.

    Special Education: Families of students who participate in the Special Education program and are interested in Independent Study should contact their case manager to set up an IEP meeting.

    For additional information regarding the Independent Learning Academy, please contact the following personnel:

    Ms. Laura Anderson – Administrator, Independent Learning Academy lauraanderson@burbankusd.org;

    Dr. Peter Knapik – Director, Elementary Education peterknapik@burbankusd.org

    Dr. John Paramo – Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services johnparamo@burbankusd.org

    Independent Study Update

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    Planning for the 2022-23 Independent Study program will be ongoing through the spring and summer of 2022. (There may be additional changes and adjustments based on proposed changes in legislation regarding Independent Study Programs)

     Elementary Model (2022-2023)

    • Students will be enrolled in the Independent Learning Academy and assigned to one teacher.
    • Students must have a signed Independent Study contract before beginning Independent Study.
    • Students may return to in-person instruction at any time, but are not guaranteed a space at their home school. Every effort will be made to place students at their home schools, but this will be based on space available.
    • Independent Study daily start and end times will be the same as in-person learning.
    • Instruction will be a combination of Asynchronous (online or paper assignments) and Synchronous (live instruction) coursework/instruction based primarily on district adopted curriculum.
    • Independent Study students will have instruction in English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, Music, and Art.
    • There will be daily synchronous (live) instruction in English language arts and mathematics.
    • Primary point of contact for students and teachers will be through Google Classroom or similar program.
    • Curriculum and instruction will be provided electronically through a BUSD provided Chromebook or family device if preferred.
    • Parent/Guardian participation will be essential as students will need support at home.
    • Families with special education students, should contact their case managers if they are interested in Independent Study.
    • More details to come.

     

    Secondary Model (2022-2023)

    • Students in grades 6-12 will be enrolled at the ILA.
    • A weekly live instructional component is required and for middle school students there is a daily required check-in.
    • Students must have a signed Independent Study contract before beginning Independent Study.
    • Instruction will be a combination of Asynchronous (online or paper assignments) and Synchronous (live instruction) coursework/instruction.
    • APEX is the primary learning platform.
    • Curriculum and instruction will be provided electronically through a BUSD provided Chromebook or family device if preferred.
    • Students will have the option of choosing between a course-based model or a traditional model

                Course-based – This is the current model. Students take 1 – 2 courses at a time and have 22 days to complete each course.

                Traditional Model – Students take 6 courses at a time and have the semester to complete all the courses. This is best for students who may return to in-person learning at any time during the school-year.

    • Families with special education students, should contact their case managers if they are interested in Independent Study.
    • Students in either model have the option of enrolling in up to two in-person classes at the high school, depending on availability.
    • More details to come.

     

    Current Independent Study Program (2021-2022) Information

    As we continue our planning for the 2021-22 school year, we wanted to share some essential information with you. Burbank Unified School District is returning to in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year with health and safety protocols in place as directed by our guiding agencies. The California Department of Education (CDE) has authorized school districts to return to full in-person instruction for the upcoming school year, with an alternative option for independent study.

    For this school year, the 2021-22 Enacted Budget, Assembly Bill (AB) 130, allows for only two instructional models: in-person learning and the voluntary alternative model of independent study. The State is no longer allowing a distance learning option that was offered last year.

    Please find information related to Independent Study here.

    Independent Study Overview Meeting - 8/10/2021

    https://youtu.be/J69CiZGgJ4E

    Independent Study FAQ

    English

    Elementary Independent Study Contract

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    Elementary Independent Study Procedure Guide

    English