High School Frequently Asked Questions

• How do Independent Study courses work?
  

  Students registering for a web-based version will receive a login to access the course online.

  Students study at their own pace, working through assignments and taking exams exams when ready, and communicating with instructors as needed, by email or phone.

• Can home schoolers take your classes?
  

  Independent Study courses are a great way to supplement your at-home education. Our goal is to help home school students succeed and transition more easily to the college setting.

• How can I make sure my high school accepts your courses?
  

  Most high schools accept Portland State University Independent Study courses. It is your responsibility to check with your counselor.

• Why do we request your school name?
  

  In order to verify to which school you would like us to send your final grade.

• How many courses can I take at the same time?
  

  There is no limit. Typically, students take no more than two courses at a time. When deciding, consider your current school workload, other commitments, and activities. Talk to your counselor to help you decide.

• How long does it take to finish an Independent Study course?
  

  It is flexible. Effective July 1, 2008, you will have twelve months to complete your course, including exams. If you wish you can take as little as eight weeks.

• Can I retake an exam if necessary?
  

  You may retake an exam if you receive a failing grade and your instructor decides you may have another chance.

• Can I call or email for my course grade?
  

  To protect your privacy, we don't give out grade information over the phone, since it is difficult to verify that the caller has a legal right to that information. There are several ways to find out what grade you earned:

  1. Bring a self-addressed stamped envelope with you to your exam. Your teacher will return your exam results in the envelope you provide. Often instructors will include your course grade with your final exam feedback. If you have been keeping track of your grades on assignments and exams, you can calculate your grade according to the the information in the course guide syllabus.
  2. You may visit our office with your photo ID, and we can tell you your course grade.
  3. Wait until your copy of your course grade arrives in the mail.
  4. Ask your counselor to look up your grade in your school record.

• Can my parents find out how I am doing in my course?
  

  Until you are 18 years old, your parents have the right to know what is in your academic record. On the Independent Study registration form, we ask for the names of two authorized parents and guardians. This includes parents, adoptive parents, legal guardians, and adults in whose custody you are placed in the absence of your parents. These are the only people to whom we can provide information. Changes to that list will have to be made, by you, in writing. An email from the address you provide to us on your registration form may be acceptable.

  After you turn 18, or whenever you take a college-level course regardless of your age, your parents will not have the right to your academic record. If you want them to have specific information, you can either provide it to them or give us written permission, by email or mail, to provide it.

• Can my school find out how I am doing in my course?
  

  Yes, authorized personnel of an educational institution that has a legitimate interest in the information in your academic record has the right to that information without your permission and without notification from us. Therefore, if your school counselor calls us, after we verify that he or she is an authorized person from a school, we will provide the requested information.

• If I don't finish my IS course, do I get an F on my transcript?
  

  No. If you don't finish the required coursework and exams by the deadline, then your course expires. We won't send anything to your school.

• Can I get a high school diploma or GED from Independent Study?
  

  No, we cannot grant diplomas or GED's. It is your responsibility to talk to your school or community college counselor to see if they accept IS courses toward a diploma or the GED. We send your official grade report to the school you indicate on your IS registration form.

• I am a senior and need one course to graduate. What are my deadlines?
  

  Use the High School Deadline Calculator to determine your deadlines. Follow the directions. Remember, these are final deadlines. The sooner you can complete the work before the deadline, the better off you will be.

• How do I complete a course evaluation?

Parents, you can help your child complete his or her Independent Study course:

• Contact the instructor and the Independent Study Program
  

  In a web-based course, go to Courses and Instructors, and find your course.

  Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) educational institution staff and instructors are legally and ethically required to protect the confidentiality of the information in students' records. FERPA prohibits an educational agency or institution from sharing student records, or personally identifiable information in these records, without the written consent of a parent. A “parent” is defined as a natural or adoptive parent, a legal guardian, or an individual acting as a parent in the absence of the parent or guardian. When students reach the age of 18, or attend a post secondary institution at any age, all of the rights transfer from the parents to the students. FERPA allows the disclosure of student data without parental consent to school officials with a legitimate educational interest in the information.

  In order to enact FERPA, we require students to provide us with the names of two parents or guardians on their registration form. These are the only people to whom instructors and staff may provide information. In addition, when you call for information about your child, the Independent Study staff and instructors will verify that you are on the parent/guardian list and will ask you to verify your identity through a series of questions. This protects your child from having confidential information inadvertently given to an unauthorized person.

  FERPA authorizes us to provide information to authorized personnel at your child's school. In addition, you or your child will have signed an authorization statement on the registration form. Therefore, if your child's school counselor calls our office, we will provide the requested information without notifying you or requesting permission. This is also true after your child turns 18.

• Instruction
  

  The online Course Guide provide your child with all the information, directions, assignments, and request forms to order exams that are needed to complete the course. In addition, most courses require one or more textbooks, which are available through the Specialty Books.

  Students have up to 12 months to complete all of the coursework to get a grade. In the 11^th month, your child will receive a deadline notice.

  Effective July 1, 2008, the 6-month extension will no longer be available.

  Instructors are required to return email and phone calls within 48 hours and return assignments within five business days of receipt. If this doesn't happen, contact the instructor a second time. If there is a problem, contact Independent Study.

  If a child is under 18 years of age, it is appropriate for you to talk to the instructor by phone about the course content, assignment requirements, and his or her coursework performance. Do not hesitate to talk with them. They are very helpful and care about your child's learning.

• Assignments
  

  Print-Based Assignments
  Make copies of each assignment before mailing it to the instructor; if something gets lost, your child will not have to redo the assignment.

  Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with each assignment for the instructor to use to return the assignment with comments and a grade to your child. Assignments without a SASE will not be returned.

  Each assignment must be submitted as soon as it is completed. DO NOT SEND ALL THE ASSIGNMENTS AT THE SAME TIME. The course is intended to teach your child needed information, and he or she will benefit from instructor guidance between assignments.

  If a friend or sibling is taking the same course, it is appropriate for them to study together, such as when preparing for an exam; it is NOT appropriate for them to complete the assignments together. Assignments must be your child's original work. Work that is plagiarized will receive an "F" grade and zero points toward the course grade.

• Exams
  

  If taking his or her exams near home, your child needs to mail the exam request form to Independent Study three weeks before they want to take the exam. If taking the exam at the Independent Study office, he or she needs to book the exam time 48 hours in advance, and bring the form with him or her.

  Your child must bring Photo ID to verify he or she is the person who should be taking the exam. If your child forgets his or her ID, he or she will have to reschedule the exam.

  Your child should bring a letter-sized SASE to the exam in order to receive the exam results and the course grade from the instructor. The exam itself is not returned.

  Graduating seniors must submit all assignments in order and take the last exam three weeks before the school needs the grade reported. If the last exam isn't taken three weeks prior to that date, we may not be able to process the grade in time for your child to walk through the graduation ceremony. Got to the High School Deadline Calculator to determine the date by which your coursework and exams must be completed.

• Grades
  

  Grades are sent to the school indicated on the registration form.

  A copy of the grade is mailed to your child.

  In the event that you do NOT want a course grade reported to the school, your child should NOT take the final exam. Once all of the coursework is completed, a grade will be sent to the school.

• Additional Assistance
  

  If you move or if your phone number or email address changes, it is your responsibility to notify the Independent Study office as soon as possible. We often send important announcements to our students by email.

  If your child has difficulty maintaining a schedule, you might want to establish "due dates" for the coursework. Create a calendar. Post it in a communal area.

  You may want to have your child turn assignments in to you, so that you know that they have been completed and sent.

  You may want to put your name and address on the SASE so that you are aware of your child's academic progress in the course.

  If the subject matter is difficult for your child, you may want to employ a tutor. The tutor may also contact the instructor for information or advice. Please make sure that the person you hire is duly qualified in the subject matter and in the skills needed to teach someone else. Tutors should not correct or edit homework completed by your child. They should guide the student toward finding or figuring out their own answers; otherwise, your child will not be prepared to respond independently to exam questions.

  Let us know how we can help. Our purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to complete coursework and graduate from high school with a quality education.

• Quality of Courses and Instruction
  

  All of our high school courses are fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS).

  All of our high school instructors are licensed to teach our high school courses with the State of Oregon.

• How do Independent Study courses work?
  

  After a student registers for a web-based version of the course, we send them a login to the online version. Students work step by step through the course lessons, assignments, and exams. They study at their own pace and take exams when they are ready. Helping them create and stick to a schedule is crucial to their ability to complete the course. They can communicate with their instructor by mail, phone, or email.

• Who decides if a student can get credit for an Independent Study course?
  

  The school that will carry the credits on the student's record. Students may come to you to get permission to take Independent Study courses. Please provide them with the appropriate forms required by your school for off-campus study. Most high schools accept Portland State University Independent Study courses. The Independent Study program is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.

• Do Independent Study courses work for the college-bound student athlete according to the NCAA?
  

  Yes. All of the NCAA criteria are met when students take Independent Study courses through Portland State University, as long as they choose courses that are defined as "core".

  The NCAA makes the following statement in the 2005-2006 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete:

  Q. May independent-study, Internet, and correspondence courses count as core courses?

  A. Yes, as long as the following four conditions are met:

  • The course meets core-course requirements (see page 9).
  • You and the instructor have access to each other during the course so that the instructor can teach, evaluate, and provide assistance to you.
  • Appropriate academic authorities evaluate your work according to the high school's academic policies.
  • The course is acceptable for any student to take and is placed on your high-school transcript.

  The NCAA states that "a core course must:"

  • Be an academic course in one or a combination of these areas: English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, non doctrinal religion or philosophy.
  • Be four-year college preparatory.
  • Be at or above your high school's regular academic level (no remedial, special education, or compensatory courses).

• How many courses can students take at the same time?
  

  There is no limit. Typically, students take no more than two courses at a time.

• How long does it take to finish an Independent Study course?
  

  Students have between two and twelve months to complete a course.

  Effective July 1, 2008 there will no longer be a six-month extension.

  Permission is required from the instructor to complete the coursework in four to seven weeks. Courses cannot be completed in less than four weeks.

• Can students retake an exam if necessary?
  

  If students receive an "F" on an exam, their teacher will send them an Exam Retake form to allow them to take another exam. In some courses, the syllabus states that students who receive an "F" on an exam will not receive a grade for the course, in which case, they are required to retake the exam; it is not optional. No retakes are allowed for students who receive a "D" or better on an exam.

• Can I email or call to find out a student's course grade?
  

  We have been given permission by the student or his or her guardian to report course grades to the school indicated on the registration form. If you call us for the grade, we will call you back to verify that you are the authorized person to whom we can report a grade, according to FERPA requirements.

  The school will receive an official "certified" grade in the mail. Students will receive a copy of their grade in the mail.

• What happens if a student does not finish his or her IS course?
  

  Nothing. If students don't finish the required coursework and exams by the deadline, then their term of the course expires. We won't send anything to the student's school.

• Can students get a high school diploma or GED from Independent Study?
  

  No, Independent Study cannot grant diplomas or GED's. Diplomas are awarded by the student's high school or by a community college high school completion program. We send the official course grade report to the school indicated on the student's IS registration form.

• What are the deadlines for graduating seniors?
  

  Use the Graduating Seniors Deadline Calculator on the left menu to determine deadlines. Follow the directions. The dates provided are final deadlines. The sooner students can complete the work prior to the deadline, the more time they have to redo any work or retake any exams, and the better chance of graduating with their class.

  Our instructors work diligently with students to help them complete their course in time to walk through their graduation ceremony. Also, they email and phone in grades to our staff.

  Please do everything you can to avoid the last minute emergencies. Anything you can do to help students work on their courses regularly, turn in assignments one at a time as soon as they are completed, and take their exams in a timely fashion is greatly appreciated.