CIS Program Information
CIS - CENTRAL INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAM
The Central School District is offering all families the option to enroll their student in Independent Study for the 2021-2022 school year. The Central Independent Study (CIS) program is an optional alternative instructional program for students whose needs may be best met through study outside of the regular classroom setting.
On July 9, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 130 into law. It requires school districts in California to notify all families of learning programs for their child. At Central School District, a voluntary independent study program will be offered to all families for the 2021-2022 school year.
The CIS program utilizes daily virtual instructional blocks in Grades TK-3 and a weekly instructional block in Grades 4-8 with virtual daily interaction sessions. The CIS online program is aligned to California State standards for grades TK-8. Parents must agree to all the conditions and sign an agreement in order to have their child participate. Students with disabilities will require and IEP team meeting to be enrolled in CIS to determine if the student’s IEP specifically provides for such instruction. Students with 504 Plans will require a 504 Team meeting before enrolling in CIS.
The participation agreement for CIS outlines the conditions and requirements that are mandated in order to participate to include attendance and assignment completion requirements. Upon the participation agreement being signed, your child will have a three-day packet to complete. This provides time for the school district to enroll your student in the CIS program, receive a district issued device and be assigned to the online curriculum. Once child is dropped from their resident school, they will be enrolled in the CIS program. Parents have the right to disenroll their child at any time from the CIS program and return to in-person instruction, however if there is no space available at the home school, a student may be transferred to another school in the district with space availability.
We are happy to support you in the process of determining which program might be best for your child. Please visit our Central School District webpage or your child’s school for more information. The questions below might help when considering the CIS learning option for the 2021-2022 school year.
Is there evidence, from previous school experiences, that my student works well alone and can stay motivated to learn independently?
Is my student successful completing independent assignments without high level of adult support and prompting?
Can my student commit to attend scheduled daily online sessions to maintain regular attendance?
Does my student have access to a quiet place at home to attend to their virtual learning?
Is there significant parent or guardian support to help my student with grade level assignments in all content areas?
Parents and guardians know their student’s needs best. When considering the programs offered by Central School District, understanding the academic and social-emotional needs of your student is important when selecting the right program. Students that have difficulty working independently or thrive in environments that provide in-person social and academic collaboration with other students may not be best suited for independent learning programs. Yet, some students may thrive when working independently with significant parent or guardian support. The educators at your student’s resident school also have important information and can help you navigate the decision of which learning program to choose for your student. We recommend the first conversation take place with your school’s site administrator and they can help guide you. You may also contact the district office, see below. Parents have the right to request a student-parent-educator conference meeting before enrolling their student in the CIS program to discuss the Program Participation Agreement.
For more information, please contact:
Kim Bliss
Education Services Program Coordinator
Central School District
(909) 989 - 8541