Extended Education & Outreach
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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Lincoln, Neb., October 27, 2004 --Thanks to the changing high school experience, mandated in part by the "No Child Left Behind" legislation and encouraged by the "Breaking Ranks" report, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Independent Study High School has seen a significant jump in enrollment of its self-paced courses in 2004.

"We are seeing an ever-growing need in schools across the country for flexible solutions to meet the demands of legislation and grassroots movements like 'Breaking Ranks,'" says Carol Ash, Director of the Independent Study High School . The Independent Study High School is able to meet the demands of schools by providing self-paced supplemental courses for grades nine through 12. Schools use the self-paced courses to allow students to make up credit, work on advanced curriculum and take courses otherwise not available locally, all of which help schools meet "No Child Left Behind" regulations and the recommendations of the "Breaking Ranks" report.

Whereas the "No Child Left Behind" Act mandates schools performance at the federal level, the "Breaking Ranks" report engages principals, teacher leaders and the community at the local level. Both have had a significant impact on how high schools are balancing the demands federal standards with local control. It has also created a greater need for educational solutions outside the traditional high school campus.

"Perhaps the most significant issue to surface about our changing high school academic programs," according to John Lammel, Senior Lecturer of Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, "is the need to be sure schools offer programs for all students to be successful." In order to do so, Lammel suggests, schools must do a better job of personalizing the teaching and learning experiences for students. One way to do so, he suggests, is using programs such as the Independent Study High School , which allows students to work on subjects of interest to them at a pace dictated by the individual student.

Lammel was instrumental in drafting the "Breaking Ranks" report. It encourages the use of technology in the classroom to accommodate different learning styles and to help teachers individualize the learning process. This is one of the key reasons why the Independent Study High School has been developing more online courses, including its first Advanced Placement course released this summer.

Ash states, "By offering more online courses, we're helping schools offer more a more diverse curriculum to meet the learning needs of students of all abilities." She also added that online learning is becoming the trend in schools nationwide. "We are seeing more schools seeking online courses for the flexibility they allow administrators. In addition to schools that enroll students individually, we have some schools that have an entire classroom of students working on one of our courses. This allows the administrators to customize the student learning experience based on the individual needs of the student. Advanced students can work at a faster pace while remedial students can work at a pace more conducive for them."

Such dynamic changes in the ways schools are restructuring the learning experience has resulted in a nearly 12% increase in enrollments for the Independent Study High School in the first quarter of 2004.

"We're seeing more and more schools realize the benefits of independent study," Ash says. "We are making an impact in the local school systems by providing expanded access to education. We're working with schools hand-in-hand to make sure that every child has access to a quality education."

Much of the increase in enrollment can be attributed to the increase in the number of traditional high schools and non-traditional learning organizations using the program. More than 800 such programs currently enroll students in the Independent Study High School , which serves more than 3,200 students total. In Nebraska , schools in 93 communities and 98 schools currently enroll nearly 500 students in Independent Study High School courses.

Changing demographics, particularly in rural areas of the country, in addition to English Language Learning (ELL) students, will continue to have a profound impact on the changing school environment. "We feel we are uniquely positioned to assist schools with their evolving needs," stated Ash. "We look forward to developing more partnerships with schools in the coming years to help them meet their changing demands so that all students are successful."

For more information about the Independent Study High School , visit http://NebraskaHS.unl.edu or call 1-866-700-4747.