Low-income families can enroll their child in supplemental educational services if their child attends a Title I school that has been designated by the State to be in need of improvement for more than one year. The term "supplemental educational services" refers to free extra academic help, such as tutoring or remedial help, that is provided to students in subjects such as reading, language arts, and math. This extra help can be provided before or after school, on weekends, or in the summer.

Each State educational agency (SEA) is required to identify organizations that qualify to provide these services. Districts must make available to parents a list of State-approved supplemental educational services providers in the area and must let parents choose the provider that will best meet the educational needs of the child.

Providers of supplemental educational services may include nonprofit entities, for-profit entities, local educational agencies, public schools, including public charter schools, or private schools. Entities that would like to be included on the list of eligible providers must contact the SEA and meet the criteria established by the SEA to be approved to be an eligible provider.

Supplemental Education Frequently Asked Questions

ESEA Flexibility Frequently Asked Questions (Revised August 3, 2012) (MS Word 2.02MB)

Supplemental Educational Services under ESEA Flexibility

On September 23, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) offered each interested SEA the opportunity to request flexibility on behalf of itself, its local educational agencies (LEAs), and its schools, in order to better focus on improving student learning and increasing the quality of instruction. This voluntary opportunity is providing educators and State and local leaders with flexibility regarding specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive State-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction. This flexibility builds on and supports the significant State and local reform efforts already underway in critical areas such as transitioning to college- and career-ready standards and assessments; developing systems of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support; and evaluating and supporting teacher and principal effectiveness.

SEAs that have received ESEA flexibility received a waiver of the requirement to identify schools for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. This flexibility also relieves an LEA and school that otherwise would have been identified for improvement from the requirement to carry out certain actions that accompany such identification, including developing and implementing a school improvement plan, reserving funds for professional development, and providing public school choice and supplemental educational services (SES).

Although providing SES is thus no longer required by Federal law in a State that has received ESEA flexibility, some SEAs and LEAs have chosen to use their State or local authority to continue offering SES or a similar service to students in certain low-achieving Title I schools. Parents may wish to contact their LEA or SEA for more information about what services might be available under ESEA flexibility.