NCLB Recommendation #30
SUBJECT
Supplemental Educational Services (SES): Student Eligibility
P.L. 107-110 PROVISIONS
TITLE I PART A SUBPART 1 SEC. 1116(e)(12)(A)
NSBA RECOMMENDATIONS
#30: SES need only be offered to low-achieving students within specific subgroups that fail to make AYP in the same subject for two or more years.
RATIONALE
Given the limited Title I funds available, such resources should be targeted only to those students who have demonstrated a need, not all Title I eligible students.
PROPOSED BILL LANGUAGE
Section 1116 is further amended in subsection (e)(12)(A)—
By striking “a child from a low-income family, as determined by the local educational agency for purposes of allocating funds to schools under section 1113(c)(1)” and inserting “students who failed to meet the proficient level of achievement on the assessments described under section 1111(b)(3) and are in the group whose academic performance caused the identification under this paragraph; ”
IMPACT OF CURRENT LAW
NCLB allows all low-income students attending a school identified as needing improvement to receive SES. This policy does not target students who are most academically challenged and has resulted in the lowest achieving students not receiving tutoring. If the current eligibility criteria do not change, many school districts will spend their limited Title I funds on students who do not necessarily need the extra help, therefore reducing available in-school funds for other low-performing students who need them most. In addition, the sheer volume of eligible students under the current criteria has driven up the administrative costs for SES; causing school districts to divert funds from other programs serving low-performing students to cover such costs.
NSBA CONTACT
Reggie Felton, director of federal relations, 703-838-6782 or rfelton@nsba.org.