Pupil instruction: independent study.

Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or a county office of education to offer independent study to meet the educational needs of pupils in accordance with prescribed criteria. Existing law provides that a school district or county office of education is not eligible to receive apportionments for independent study pupils unless it has adopted and implemented certain policies, including, but not limited to, policies related to all of the following, among other things: the maximum length of time that may elapse between the time an independent study assignment is made and the date by which the pupil must complete the assigned work; the number of missed assignments that will be allowed before an evaluation is conducted to determine whether it is in the best interests of the pupil to remain in independent study; the manner, time, frequency, and place for submitting a pupil's assignments and for reporting his or her progress; the duration of the independent study agreement, which is limited to one semester or 12 year for a school on a year-round calendar; and the requirement of a written agreement, signed by prescribed individuals, for each independent study pupil to be maintained on file. This bill would extend the maximum duration of an independent study agreement under this provision to 2 semesters or one school year for a school on a year-round calendar. The bill would also permit the required signatures on the independent study written agreement to be submitted through a PDF or facsimile copy of the original written agreement.