Tutors for Kids: Resources and information on Supplemental Educational Services; tutorsforkids.org

This page provides resources in the following areas:

U.S. Department of Education
Families and Communities
Policymakers
Educators
Providers
Research
News

SES Resources

This page provides links to tools, research, and articles about SES.

SES: Who Does What? – This chart provides a quick overview of the roles that states, districts, providers, and families play in implementing SES.

SES: The Basics – This page offers a general explanation of SES, a description of how it works, and an overview of roles and responsibilities for SES.

SES by State – Visit this page to find information about “Title I Schools Identified for Improvement” in your state, links to lists of approved SES providers in your state, and contact information for your state department of education.

Questions for Families to Ask SES Providers – This set of questions can help families choose an SES provider for their children.

Evaluating SES Providers: Suggested Strategies for States [PDF] Dr. Steven Ross from the University of Memphis worked with the SESQ Center to develop this Issue Brief to help state education agencies develop evaluation systems for SES providers. The Brief reviews possible evaluation outcomes, data sources, and research designs, and offers practical and technical considerations associated with an evaluation.

"Implementing Supplemental Services: Opportunities and Challenges" [PDF] This policy brief summarizes the SES provision, outlines key challenges to the successful implementation of the program, and offers ideas to turn these challenges into opportunities to help eligible children benefit from SES.

The Providers’ Toolkit for Supplemental Educational Services
The SESQ Center developed this Toolkit to offer potential or current SES providers practical, step-by-step tips, tools and resources on designing, delivering, marketing, managing, and evaluating an SES program. For a free PDF version, click here.

SES in Action: A Toolkit for Parents and Community Leaders
The SESQ Center developed this Toolkit to provide parents and community leaders with information, tips, and tools that they can use to help families in their communities understand and use SES options.

"The Role of Educational Technology in Meeting the Promise of Supplemental Educational Services" (pdf) The SESQ Center prepared this policy brief for participants of the U.S. Department of Education Secretary's No Child Left Behind Leadership Summit on Increasing Options Through e-Learning. The paper outlines the potential role of educational technology in improving delivery of SES and offers ideas on how to turn current implementation challenges into opportunities to benefit eligible students.
http://www.nclbtechsummits.org

U.S. Department of Education Resources

Early Implementation of Supplemental Educational Services Under the No Child Left Behind Act: Year One Report (pdf) (text version) The U.S. Department of Education has released a new study of nine districts in six states to document how successfully states, schools, and providers implemented SES in school year 2002-03.
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/disadv/supplementalyear1/highlights.pdf
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/disadv/supplementalyear1/highlights.doc

Fiscal Year 2005 Title I Allocations -- The Department of Education has published information on fiscal year 2005 Title I allocations by district. This website also provides information on the 20% set-aside for choice-related transportation and the maximum per-child payment for SES.
http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy05/

Innovations in Education: Creating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs - This booklet offers practical advice and concrete examples from five school districts that have been successful in creating and expanding SES.
http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/suppsvcs/sesprograms/index.html

Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) – This office of the U.S. Department of Education coordinates public school choice and supplemental educational services programs along with the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/index.html?src=oc

SES Brochure: Extra Help for Student Success
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement issued this brochure to help inform parents about their options in the supplemental educational services program. To request multiple copies of the "Extra Help for Student Success" brochure, please call toll-free, 1-877-4ED-PUBS, or send an email to edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/suppservices/services.pdf

Supplemental Educational Services Non-Regulatory Guidance – The U.S. Department of Education’s SES guidance provides complete information for states and districts to implement the supplemental educational services provision.
http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/suppsvcsguid.doc

Supplemental Educational Services Frequently Asked Questions – The U.S. Department of Education developed a list of questions and answers on SES.
http://www.ed.gov/parents/schools/choice/choice.html

SES Webcast, March 30, 2004 – The U.S. Department of Education conducted this Webcast to communicate directly with State Educational Agency (SEA) and Local Educational Agency (LEA) staff—those who guide and support the work of schools—on issues related to the implementation of NCLB.
http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/suppsvcs/seswebcast.html

The Public School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Listserv
This listserv is a free service from the Office of Innovation and Improvement. Listserv messages alert readers to new SES and school choice information that is posted on the U.S. Department of Education’s web site. For more information please click here.
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/choice/help/signupform.html

Resources for Families and Communities

SES: The Basics – This page offers a general explanation of SES, a description of how it works, and an overview of roles and responsibilities for SES.

SES Poster (in pdf) – The U.S. Department of Education developed this poster to help raise family and community awareness of SES. The blank space on the bottom of the poster is provided to insert contact information for the local district or state SES coordinators.
http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/suppservices/sesposter.pdf

Questions for Families to Ask SES Providers – This set of questions can help families choose an SES provider for their children.

Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRC) – PIRCs are funded by the U.S. Department of Education to give parents, educators, and organizations that work with families information about SES and other options that can help children succeed in school. Visit the site to find a PIRC in your area.
http://www.pirc-info.net/pircs.asp

Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) – BAEO focuses on increasing educational options for black children and informing parents about parental choice and SES components of the No Child Left Behind Act. Currently, BAEO is working in three cities — Detroit, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee — to inform parents about SES.
http://www.baeo.org/programs/?program_id=3&program_category_secondary_page_id=7

Cuban American National Council (CNC) - CNC is working in Florida, Georgia and New Jersey to provide Spanish-speaking families and the community-based organizations, faith-based groups, and schools that serve them with information, tools and support on school choice and SES.
http://www.cnc.org

Greatschools.net – GreatSchools.net is an objective source of school information on elementary, middle, and high schools. A nonprofit organization, GreatSchools.net provides information about public, private, and charter schools in all 50 states and detailed school profiles for California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Washington.
http://www.greatschools.net

Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation (GEO) – This foundation works to develop community understanding of school choice and supplemental services and is conducting outreach activities on supplemental services for the U.S. Department of Education. Currently, GEO is working in four cities — Gary, IN; Indianapolis, IN; Denver, CO; and Colorado Springs, CO — to inform parents about SES.
http://www.geofoundation.org

Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO) – HCREO works to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education. Currently, HCREO is working in five cities — Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, TX; Miami, FL; and Camden, NJ — to inform parents about SES.
http://www.hcreo.org/

National Coalition of Title I Parents – This organization provides information and training to parents, school districts, and community organizations on issues surrounding Title I.
http://www.nctic1p.org

National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) – This is a national volunteer organization for parents.
http://www.pta.org

“No Child Left Behind: What’s in It for Parents?” – This publication, developed by Parent Leadership Associates, a collaboration between KSA-Plus Communications and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, provides tips for parents to make sure that their children’s schools are complying with NCLB.
http://www.ksaplus.com/ksa/framesplpubs.html

Parent Power Works - a federally funded initiative, developed by StandardsWork, Inc., that provides tools, training, and resources to help parents make informed decisions about their child’s education. The site is designed specifically for parents in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
http://www.bethepower.org/

SchoolMatters - This website provides users with in-depth data on public schools, school districts, and state education agencies.

“Statewide Summit: Promoting Leadership and Learning Among California’s After-School Programs” – The Urban Strategies Council summarizes a conference held in May 2003 that addressed the lessons learned about after-school programs.
http://www.urbanstrategies.org

Tutor Quest - Author Edward E. Gordon provides a handbook for families to helping them to pick a provider and understand the tutoring industry. The book includes the National Better Business Bureau Trade Practice Standards and Professional Guidelines for Educational Tutoring. Copies can be ordered from the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, for $10.95 each, plus $5.00 shipping and handling per copy.
For ordering information go to: http://www.tutorquest.info

Urban League –The Urban League works to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power, and civil rights. It is an approved supplemental service provider in some districts and is also a source of information for families about SES provider options.
http://www.nul.org

“What Parents Should Know About Title I Supplemental Educational Services” [word format] – This set of tips for parents was developed by the Afterschool Alliance.
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/supp_par.doc

Resources for Policymakers

SES: The Basics – This page offers a general explanation of SES, a description of how it works, and an overview of roles and responsibilities for SES.

SEA Toolkit for Supplemental Educational Service Providers – The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) developed this tool to provide state education agencies with an application and criteria to develop their list of approved supplemental service providers.
http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/SSPToolkit.pdf

Accountability Left Behind A recent report by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the American Institute for Social Justice (AISJ) points to potential value of SES, but also raises questions about SES implementation. The report is based on surveys of states and school districts. The Education Industry Association posted a reaction to the report titled “Education Industry Association Supports Several Findings of ACORN Study on Accountability of Tutoring Companies.”
http://www.acorn.org/fileadmin/ACORN_Reports/Accountability_Left_Behind.pdf and www.acorn.org and www.educationindustry.org

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation – This private foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts that promote a just, equitable, and sustainable society, including effective after-school and SES programs.
http://www.mott.org/programs/p-lbc.asp

"SES Tutoring Programs: An evaluation of the second year - Part one of a two part report" -- This evaluation report on SES providers was released by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in August 2005.
http://www.cpsafterschool.org/SESReport_August05.pdf

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for SES Providers - The Education Industry Association developed these voluntary guidelines for SES providers on both general business practices and SES-specific services.
http://www.educationindustry.org

Education Commission of the States (ECS) – ECS tracks the implementation of No Child Left Behind and offers reports and research for state policymakers.
http://www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/issue.asp?issueid=195

Extended-Day Learning Opportunities Resource Center - This clearinghouse of information and resources developed by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) provides school board members and others with research on after-school and extended-day learning opportunities.
http://www.nsba.org/edlo

National Governors Association (NGA) – This organization represents governors and is conducting work to help governors improve supplemental services implementation. Its Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices in education.
http://www.nga.org

National League of Cities (NLC) – This organization seeks to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance. Its Institute for Youth Education and Families offers resources and events to help improve outcomes for children.
http://www.nlc.org

Resources for Educators

SES: The Basics – This page offers a general explanation of SES, a description of how it works, and an overview of roles and responsibilities for SES.

“Academic Content, After-School Style” – This guidebook, developed by Foundations, Inc., provides educators with information and tools to merge academic content with after-school projects and activities.
http://www.foundationsinc.org/NewsFolder/news-detail.asp?newsid=55

“Questions and Answers on Supplemental Educational Services for Title I Schools Title 1, Part A, Section 1116” – The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) developed a set of questions and answers on SES.
http://www.aft.org/topics/nclb/downloads/QASES0404.pdf

Tutor Trek - This for-profit organization provides web-based training courses for tutoring professionals.
http://www.tutortrek.com/WWW/Stores_App/index.asp?Shopper_id=258313191942583&Store_id=141

Resources for Providers

icon: classroom of young children reading together SES: The Basics – This page offers a general explanation of SES, a description of how it works, and an overview of roles and responsibilities for SES.

Building Effective Afterschool Programs – This handbook, by Dr. Olatokunbo S. Fashola, offers research-based guidance on how to create after-school programs that help improve outcomes for students.

Out-of-School Time Learning and Development Project - This project, conducted by Harvard Family Research Project, promotes strategic use of information to improve quality, accessibility, and sustainability of after school programs nationwide. The website offers a number of resources on after school programs, including publications, a bibliography and a database of program evaluations.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/about.html

“Title I Supplemental Educational Services and Afterschool Programs: Opportunities and Challenges” – The Finance Project offers an overview of the opportunities and challenges associated with SES.
http://www.financeproject.org/suppsvc.pdf

Tutor Trek - This for-profit organization provides web-based training courses for tutoring professionals.
http://www.tutortrek.com/WWW/Stores_App/index.asp?Shopper_id=258313191942583&Store_id=141

“What Afterschool Programs Should Know About Title I Supplemental Educational Services” – The Afterschool Alliance offers tips to help providers decide whether to apply to become an approved SES provider.
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/supp_prog.doc

White House Center for Faith- and Community-Based Initiatives – This Center has created a user-friendly Toolkit for organizations interested in applying to become supplemental service providers.
http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/suppservices.html

Research

SES: The Basics – This page offers a general explanation of SES, a description of how it works, and an overview of roles and responsibilities for SES.

American Productivity and Quality Center – This organization has conducted case studies on supplemental educational services, in cooperation with WestEd.
www.apqc.org

“Can NCLB Increase Options for Low-Income Students?” – This paper, written by Robert Maranto for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), provides results of interviews with state education officials about the implementation of the supplemental services and public school choice provisions of No Child Left Behind. AEI will release its book Leaving No Child Behind, which includes this paper, in August 2004.
http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.19731,filter.social/pub_detail.asp

“From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 2 of the No Child Left Behind Act” – This report by the Center on Education Policy describes the implementation and effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) during calendar year 2003, the second year of the Act’s existence. The information in this report is based on a survey of 47 states and the District of Columbia; a nationally representative survey of 274 school districts; in-depth case studies of 33 urban, suburban, and rural school districts; and other research methods.
http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs/nclby2/

“No Child Left Behind? The Politics and Practice of School Accountability” – This book by Frederick Hess, Julian R. Betts, Anthony S. Bryk, and others examines No Child Left Behind’s origins, the political and social forces that gave it shape, the potential issues that will surface with its implementation, and finally, the law’s likely consequences for American education.
http://www.aei.org/publications/bookID.730,filter.all/book_detail.asp

Policy Studies Associates, Inc. (PSA) – This organization conducts research in education and youth development, including research on after-school programs and supplemental educational services.
http://www.policystudies.com

SchoolMatters - This website provides users with in-depth data on public schools, school districts, and state education agencies.

“The Invisible Hand of No Child Left Behind?” – This paper, written by Siobhan Gorman for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), focuses on the implementation challenges and opportunities of the SES provision. AEI will release its book Leaving No Child Behind, which includes this paper, in August 2004.
http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.19730,filter.social/pub_detail.asp

WestEd – This nonprofit research, development, and service agency works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. It has conducted case studies on supplemental educational services, in cooperation with the American Productivity and Quality Center.
http://www.wested.org

What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) - The WWC aims to help education decision makers by reviewing the effectiveness of replicable education programs, products, practices, and policies designed to improve student outcomes.
http://www.whatworks.ed.gov

Wisconsin Center for Education Research – This center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducts research on after-school programs.
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/childcare/index.html

News

Note: News sources often require registration and links lead off the tutorforkids.org site.

Education Commission of the States’ E-Clips
This Web site delivers the day’s top education news and links to Education Week’s extensive daily news roundup (http://www.edweek.org/clips/#roundup).
http:// www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/newsMedia/e-Clips.asp

The Education Innovator
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement produces a weekly newsletter to highlight innovations in the field.
http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/innovator/index.html

EducationNews.org
This site contains links to daily news stories and articles by its own columnists, as well as a discussion board.
http://www.educationnews.org

Education Week
This weekly newspaper covers national, state, and local education news.
http://www.edweek.org

SmartBrief, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
SmartBrief, in partnership with trade associations and professional societies, provides targeted e-mail news services.
http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd