Section 1.4--Frequently Asked Questions
Free Tutoring, or Supplemental Educational Services, Under
NCLB
Supplemental educational services (SES) are academic or tutoring services offered during offschool hours to increase the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students,
particularly in the areas of reading, writing, and math. The tutoring services are paid for by the
districts and are free of charge to parents of participating students. Under the federal No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) law, Title I School Improvement schools not meeting state target goals for
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for three or more years (two consecutive years to enter Title I
School Improvement and an additional year) in the same subject (reading/language arts or math)
must offer SES to eligible students. Students at Title I schools who are qualified to receive free or
reduced-price lunch are eligible regardless of their academic performance.
What is AYP?
Through statewide testing, AYP measures the yearly progress of different groups of students
toward achieving state academic standards in reading/language arts and math. All groups of
students are expected to meet the same target goals each year. Under NCLB, all students are
expected to be proficient in reading/language arts and math by
2013-14.
How does a school make AYP?
For a school to make AYP, each student group in the tested grades must meet proficiency targets
in reading/language arts and math and each student group must have at least a 95% participation
rate in the assessments for both subjects. The student groups are: 1) the school as a whole (all
students); 2) White; 3) Black; 4) Hispanic; 5) Native American; 6) Asian; 7) economically
disadvantaged students (students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch); 8) limited English; and
9) students with disabilities. Each student is represented in at least two groups – the school as a
whole and her/his racial group.
Must all Title I School Improvement schools offer SES?
No. NCLB designates Title I schools that haven’t met state target goals for AYP for two or more
years in the same subject (reading/language arts or math) as Title I School Improvement schools.
In the first year of this designation, schools must offer parents the option of transferring their
children to other schools. Only in subsequent years under this designation, must schools also
offer supplemental educational services.
Can students at Title I School Improvement schools transfer to a public school of
choice AND receive free tutoring services?
No. When both the public school choice and supplemental educational services options are
available, parents may choose the transfer option or tutoring services, but not both.
Who provides the free tutoring services?
Service providers can be public, private, non-profit or for-profit organizations approved by the
Arizona Department of Education. The services must be of high quality, research-based, and
consistent with the instructional program of the school district and with the Arizona Standards.
Parents of eligible students choose a provider from the state-approved list of providers for their
district. Parents may request assistance from their school district in selecting a provider.
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Providers may offer services in a variety of settings including public libraries, providers’ offices,
community centers, and places of worship. Providers may not teach in their home or a student’s
home.
Students can receive tutoring services after school, before school, or at other times. If your child
is having trouble in a specific subject area, such as reading or math, make sure that the provider
you choose offers services focused on that subject area. Make sure the services are scheduled
at a time that works for your family so that your child will be able to attend regularly. No
transportation will be offered; you will need to make plans to get your child to and from the
tutoring sessions.
Does the provider measure student needs?
Make sure your child’s progress will be measured in a way that will be clear and useful for you.
For example, if the provider will report on your child’s progress in writing, you can ask for a
sample progress report to get a clearer picture of how this process would work.
What happens if I choose a provider, but it does not help my child?
Be sure to ask what procedures are in place if your child does not show improvement after
working with a provider. If you are unhappy with a provider’s services, be sure to provide
feedback to the district and state to help them monitor the provider. Some providers may offer
guarantees of improved student performance. Ask if the program offers such a guarantee and
find out what happens if the guarantee is not met.
When does a Title I school no longer need to offer SES?
A Title I school is no longer in Improvement and no longer needs to offer SES after
making AYP in the subject that first identified the school as needing Improvement for
two years in a row. If a Title I school makes AYP in any one year after entering Title I
School Improvement, it does not move to the next level of sanctions. If a school
designated for Improvement makes AYP the year following that designation and then
fails to make AYP the year after that, it moves to the next level of the sanctions. It is
possible for a school to exit Title I School Improvement in one subject in the same year
that it enters Improvement or continues to be in Improvement due to another subject.
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