Frequently Asked Questions

Prospective Students and Parents

What is Independent Study?
Independent study (or distance education) allows students to take courses without being in a classroom. Students can enroll at anytime from anywhere, and work at their own pace. Independent study is an alternative to semester-based learning.

Is the Independent Study High School Accredited?
Yes, the high school is accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education, since 1968, the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement since 1978, and by the Commission on International and Trans-regional Accreditation since 2003.

What is the ISHS School Code?
The school code, which may be used for testing purposes, or to check the NCAA Clearinghouse is 281316.

May credit earned elsewhere be transferred to the ISHS diploma program?
Yes, academic credits earned at other schools may be transferred to the Independent Study High School. All credit issued by regionally or state accredited secondary schools as high school credit is accepted at face value toward meeting UNL ISHS's graduation requirements.

Will credits earned at the ISHS transfer to a public school?
Yes, the Independent Study High School is fully accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education and by North Central Association on Accreditation and School Improvement. Credits will transfer to other schools with similar accreditation via a reciprocal agreement between the regional accrediting agencies.

How are tests administered?
Because the ISHS is an accredited high school program, we have requirements associated with test taking. A proctor, who is approved by the ISHS, will have the authority to administer the closed book tests.

What are the assignments like, do I have to turn in everything?
Most courses are written in units, and each unit includes: reading assignments, self-check activities, practice activities, journaling exercises, projects and graded unit evaluations. Many of the courses may be accessed via the course management system. Some assignments are not graded, however, it is important that you do everything that is assigned within the course in order to learn the content and prepare for the graded evaluations and progress tests.

What are unit evaluations like?
Unit evaluations may be multiple-choice, essays, true/false, fill in the blank and are graded. Evaluations may be submitted by mail, using a scan card, or via the Way Cool course management system. If the student uses the course management system, grades and feedback are automatic. If using a scan card to mail in the evaluation, the grades and feedback may be found online, and the results are mailed to the proctor. One purpose of the unit evaluations is to help the student prepare for progress tests.

What are progress tests like?
Progress tests are closed-book exams and may include multiple-choice, true/false, or fill-in-the-blank questions. Progress tests are graded and may be submitted by mail, using a scan card, or via the WayCool course management system. Unlike the unit evaluations, progress tests are supervised by an approved proctor. You will need to select an approved proctor prior to taking any progress tests.

Current Students

What should I do if I have not received my user name and password for Way Cool?
Due to various e-mail filters, messages from the UNL Independent Study High School may be blocked from your account. If your user name and password e-mail is not getting to your account, call customer service at 402-472-2175, or toll free at 866-700-4747.

How do I configure my Hotmail (or other e-mail services like Excite, Yahoo or AOL) so it doesn't delete messages from the UNL Independent Study High School?
Due to large volumes of unsolicited e-mail, many e-mail services such as Hotmail, Excite, Yahoo and AOL have become increasingly aggressive about filtering and deleting potential spam. Unfortunately, messages from the UNL Independent Study High School are often filtered as spam, because they are being sent to more than one person.

To configure Hotmail (other e-mail systems will be similar):

Part 1: Turn off automatic deletion of messages:
-Start by clicking on the options link to the right of the tabs.
-Click the junk mail filter link. The default setting is labeled 'Obvious Junk Mail Caught'. This setting will actually delete messages sent by the ISHS immediately.
-Choose 'Enhanced'.
-Select 'Deliver to Junk Mail Folder and Delete Later'. With these settings, you'll still need to check your junk mail folder for e-mails from the Independent Study High School.

Part 2: Add UNL mail servers to your safe list.
Above we changed settings so your messages won't be deleted immediately. However, they will still end up in your junk mail folder. Hotmail has a way for you to specify a list of servers from which messages will go to your inbox instead of the junk mail folder. This is called your safe list.
-Return to the options page and click the 'Safe List' link.
-Add server names to your list, one at a time. E-mails from the Independent Study High School come from 'unlnotes.unl.edu'.

Your system is now configured to receive e-mail messages from the UNL Independent Study High School.

Why does the ISHS Web site appear distorted when I visit?
The distortion is likely caused by an unsupported web browser. If visiting our site from a Mac, we recommend using Firefox or Safari, as Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Macs.

How do I request a transcript?
Requesting a transcript is easy. Click here to learn how.

Does my proctor have to sign my lesson wrapper?
No, the lesson wrapper is for sending teacher graded projects only.

Can I change proctors?
You are always free to change proctors. The same requirements would apply as when you enrolled. If you are transferring your credit to your local high school, we would need to have a completed Local School Approval form . For an ISHS diploma student or home school student, please use the Change of Status form.

My syllabus is referring to CARES answer sheets. Where are my CARES answer sheets?
CARES answer sheets are scan cards utilized by students who have purchased Mail Processing because they choose not to use WayCool for submitting their assignments. If you are working online, you do not need CARES answer sheets.

What do I do if my proctor has not received my tests?
Tests are only mailed to the proctor if Mail Processing has been purchased. Otherwise tests are downloaded and printed through WayCool. The proctor was sent a username and password to the email address that was provided at the time of enrollment. If your proctor has not received user name and password information, they should contact the Independent Study High School.

Can I switch courses?
We would allow a course to be switched within the first 30 days of enrollment. A $30 fee would apply as well as the cost of any materials that would be needed for the new course. Please contact Customer Service if you need to switch courses.

Can I get a printed bulletin?
To request a bulletin, you can either email us at extservice@unl.edu or call Customer Service at 402-472-2175 or toll free at 866-700-4747.