Home Independent Study Programs

Home independent study programs take many forms, but they generally refer to curricula and assessments that have been prepared for self-guided study outside the traditional school environment. The primary reasons a family would choose a home independent study program are as a supplement to a traditional education program, as a support for a homebound student, or as part of a homeschool curriculum. Home independent study programs are different from homeschooling in that a homeschool curriculum may include an independent study program, but also refers to the full range of instructor-guided and experiential learning that happens outside of a traditional school setting.

As technology changes, the delivery systems for home study programs have evolved, but even as Web-based programs grow in popularity, there are still many independent study options that are based on earlier correspondence school models. The majority of research on home study in the field of curriculum studies has been concerned with tracking the quality of home study programs compared to traditional schooling. New scholarship in curriculum studies has also emerged that analyzes the innovation and effectiveness of technologies that home independent study programs have introduced.

The most common supplement to traditional schooling comes in the form of dual credit independent study programs offered by colleges. Through dual credit programs, colleges offer coursework that students can use to fulfill both high school and college credit. Dual credit traditionally is offered in the high school or college classroom, but in home-based, independent study, dual credit courses are a growing phenomenon. Colleges have long been involved in offering high school independent coursework in the Midwest where the distance between urban centers made distance education a more attractive option. The University of Nebraska, for example, has been running some form of college-prep independent study program since 1929.

Currently, home study programs can be found covering the whole range of standard curricular offerings. Both public and private programs are available, and many work directly with accreditation agencies and state school systems to ensure that credits will be transferable to a traditional school environment. Virtual schools have also been founded as charter schools in several states, delivering their curriculum through a blend of online faculty-facilitated instruction and independent learning. Initially, virtual school programs were designed exclusively for high school students, but now Web-based learning programs can be found that cover the full spectrum of K–12 education. The Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School, for example, is a K–12 cyber school that uses a blend of synchronous and asynchronous delivery methods. Public charters that offer virtual or independent learning programs are compliant with the same state assessment measures as other public schools.

Private, for-profit home study programs are not compelled to align their curriculum with state assessment standards. However, those privately run virtual schools that offer a full academic curriculum often seek accreditation and must register with the state as a private school in accordance with the same laws that govern the running of brick-and-mortar private schools. Comprehensive private virtual schools are relatively rare though, and it is far more common to find private education companies packaging specific independent study programs rather than full school options. Often, private independent study programs are designed as supplemental curriculum for a home-school program. However, private home study programs, like their public counterparts, run the full gamut of curricular offerings and grade levels.

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