EDSI Policy & Politics in Education Interview Analysis Project Title 1 NCLB Supplemental Education Services Presented by: Rachel Osborn Kimberly Sheppard Joe Rodgers Kelly Williams

Title 1 Supplemental Educational Services Assists families Prepares students for success Afterschool Compliance requirements Learning plans Parental involvement Controversial federal requirements Individualized education goals Not more of the same Free service

“If we are to put an end to stubborn poverty and social failure, and put our country on track for long-term economic prosperity, we must address the needs of children who have long been ignored and marginalized in chronically low-achieving schools.” ~ Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education

Title 1 Supplemental Education Services "What courageous things will each one of us do so that every student achieves?"

Supplemental Education Services Connections to Schools & Families An SES provider in Seattle, Washington describes her program that delivered after school tutoring to 130 students at 12 schools during the school year.

Supplemental Education Services Provider & Program Effectiveness Margo Delaune - Title 1 Program Director for Georgia Department of Education A portion of the NCLB law of 2001 requires states to provide school districts with a list of Supplemental Educational Service (SES) providers to assist with tutoring in the districts. Both the state and local education agencies work together to monitor SES providers for compliance with the policy requirements. Although the districts are allowed to determine their own process for implementing SES programs, the state remains active in ensuring student safety, providing evidence of student progress, and regulating the quality of instruction. Mrs. Delaune has reservations about the effectiveness of outside providers in aligning tutoring with the state assessment requirements and believes that overall SES programs could be strengthened as a whole.

Supplemental Education Services Teachers in the Know? Teacher Synopsis : Most teachers are not familiar with all intricacies of policies, so even though many are familiar with No Child Left Behind and the ramifications associated with it, they are not familiar with details of SES tutoring programs. Teachers that do participate have some understanding and realize that SES tutoring that is paid for by the government is for students that meet certain Title I criteria.

Supplemental Education Services Access for All? Dr. Sandra Moore is the Henry County Director of Title I services. She found very little fault if any with the program. She did wish that more students were able to benefit from the program but stated that only 10% of students in Henry County choose to use the program. Since SES is only for low income students, many parents are unable to provide transportation to and from the tutoring. Providing transportation and increasing access to the quality online SES providers that already exist are some options.

Supplemental Education Services Parent Perceptions Interviewing Beth Ginther provided a vivid view of a parent’s perspective of SES tutoring. Her son used the tutoring services. She agreed that the program helped but she knew very little about it. She didn’t recall receiving any feedback about her child’s progress during the tutoring but she recognized that the SES tutor was also her son’s teacher so the lines were fuzzy. She stated that he got more individualized attention during tutoring sessions than he did in class. The parent believes that it help him to increase achievement goals because he didn’t pass the State standardized test the previous year but this year he did. She thought it was a good program and appreciated the support.

Title 1 NCLB Supplemental Education Services Final Analysis: Although the primary focus of the policy is increasing student achievement for at risk students, it is apparent that policy implementation in this area is weak and needs improvement. While supplemental education services (SES) are mandated for student populations with high participation in free & reduced lunch and three consecutive years of not making AYP, many parents are simply not taking full advantage of the services. Additional factors such as lack of awareness, and inconsistency in reporting of student progress, also contribute to policy challenges. In sharp contrast, communities with stronger recruitment efforts and better monitoring of program implementation yield better results. Overall, both the potential and actual achievement of student participation in SES is a recurring theme throughout each interview. Whether substantial academic gains or demonstrated growth, many SES providers offer beneficial services to students. As NCLB undergoes reauthorization and review, the policy shall remain under the microscope as the responsibility of SES shifts to the hands of the local education authorities and districts.

“ “ We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us; We already know more than we need to do that; Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” ~ Glickman, C.D., Gordon, S.P., & Ross-Gordon, J.M.