Participating in clubs and activities outside of Parker, no matter how interesting or rewarding they may be, does not provide students with any type of high school credit. In order to offer students the chance to delve into interests outside of the core academic classes for reasons apart from credit, Parker offers juniors and seniors the option to take an independent study on a topic of their choice. Students who complete an independent study receive credit for their work on their high school transcripts.

Any student who desires to complete an independent study must fill out a form including the title of their intended independent study, the academic department it pertains to, and the length of study. In addition, each student must write a proposal in which they outline their plans for the study. Their proposal must define the topic, explain their interest in the topic, outline their goals for the study, and lay out a calendar/timeline, as well as a plan for a final project. There are 43 students completing an independent study during semester one of the 2017-18 school year.

Senior Grace Philip decided to take advantage of Parker’s independent study program by committing to an independent study, to be held throughout the 2017-18 school year under the guidance of Upper School learning resources teacher Bridget Walsh, on learning differences within school systems. In her study, she will examine the difference between public and private school curricula for students with learning differences by examining specific accommodations, how they are seen in the classroom, and what makes a student eligible for these accomodations.

“I want to do this project because I have had experience with receiving learning accommodations, and I am interested in how this differs between the public school system and private schools,” Philip said. “Both my siblings and I have different learning differences, and I am interested in seeing what it is like in different types of school–public vs. private–as well as how the accommodations work.”

Historically, most independent studies are undertaken individually, occasionally in pairs, as an Independent Study is a tool used mainly to pursue a personal interest. This upcoming school year, however, nine members of the Model United Nations team at Parker are taking an independent study together in order to plan a conference at the school next February entitled “Francis W. Parker Model United Nations” (FWPMUN).

Every upperclassman member of the secretariat (junior Sammy Kagan, junior Felicia Miller, junior Jack Mailing, senior Grace Buono, junior Zuri Mabrey-Wakefield, and junior Desiree Shafaie) and each upperclassman Head Chair (senior Olivia Levine, senior Felix Wood, senior Ray Blickstein, and junior Emma Butler VanderLinden) is required to take an independent study in order to receive high school credit for organizing and participating in the conference.

“Following in the footsteps of the first FWMUN Conference, we found it necessary to have participants take out an independent study,” junior Sammy Kagan, a member of FWPMUN’s secretariat, said. “We want to use the independent study to both hold participants accountable and ensure a scheduled time for the group to come together and speak.”

Along with Head of the upper school Ruth Jurgensen, Upper School Coordinator Rolanda Shepard oversees the independent study process. “It’s an awesome opportunity for a student to collaborate with a faculty member and dive into something a little more specific,” Shepard said. “It gives the student the chance to get creative and in-depth, and really see what they’re interested in and focus on that. I’ve seen students who have even gone on to make that a part of their college study.”

Junior Sophia Saker is planning to spend the school year studying Queen Victoria. “Last winter I read a biography on Queen Victoria by Julia Baird, and I completely fell in love with her and her life,” Saker said. “After the initial biography, I began reading tons of books on her, and I wanted to do something with the information I had gathered in an organized fashion, and receive credit for my research. An independent study was the perfect way to do this–I knew if I had a mentor in the form of a teacher to hold me to my goals and objectives, I could have the support to challenge myself and learn more about a subject I’m passionate about.” Saker found Upper School history teacher Andrew Bigelow to guide her studies.

Each independent study requires a faculty sponsor who evaluates a student’s performance, meets with them regularly to ensure they remain on track, supports them in sharing their project with the greater community, and grades the physical work done for the project. “If you’re thinking, ‘I’ll throw something together at the last minute and get a free period,’ you shouldn’t do an independent study,” Shepard said. “And that’s partially what the faculty sponsor is there for–to make sure you spend time on it every day as you would with any other graduation requirement class. Because if you’re passionate about it, it’s an amazing opportunity.”  

A final requirement of an independent study is sharing the knowledge gained with the greater school-wide or Chicago-wide community. This can entail an MX, a performance, a visual display somewhere in the school, a piece of writing in a school publication, or a link sent to the school.

During the first semester of the 2016-17 school year, current senior Zoe Gardner completed an independent study on pressure ulcers, for which she conducted research and did lab work to develop methods of prevention and treatment for ulcers. Gardner was part of a group of two juniors and six seniors who presented their Independent Studies at a showcase in the library this past January.

“I really liked doing an independent study last year because it allowed me to learn about things that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise,” Gardner said. “Doing an independent study junior year definitely taught me a thing or two about time management because I often found it difficult to make time to work on it. But when I did find time to work, it was extremely rewarding and fun. I would definitely recommend that anyone with an interest outside of the curriculum try doing an independent study.”

The deadline for proposals for Spring independent studies is November 7.