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The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced that Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia have been approved to allow school districts (for the 2008-2009 school year) to offer Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to students attending Title I schools in year one of school improvement status. The pilot program allows districts to offer free tutoring earlier to help students improve under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Indiana have been approved for the same flexibility under the Differentiated Accountability pilot program.
This flexibility agreement will allow districts within these states to offer tutoring ahead of schedule under NCLB. States approved for the SES pilot must meet the following criteria: 1) timely notification of adequate yearly progress; 2) a state SES evaluation in progress; and 3) a state assessment system for which ED has granted Full Approval with Recommendations. ED hopes to gain valuable information through the pilots that can be shared with other states and districts to improve the quality and delivery of this free tutoring.
For more information, visit ED's Web site or contact Catherine D. Clarke, ASHA's Director of Education and Regulatory Advocacy, via e-mail at cclarke@asha.org or by phone at 800-498-2071, ext. 5611.
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