Tennessee Joins National Pilot to Offer Free Tutoring Early

Nashville, TN - Tennessee is joining a national pilot to increase the number of students taking advantage of free academic assistance offered under the federal No Child Left Behind law. The law offers free tutoring or remedial help to low-income students in Title I schools that have been on the high priority list two years. The pilot gives school systems the flexibility to offer students supplemental educational services (SES) the first year their school is on the high priority list.

“Other states have found more families take advantage of these services when it is offered early,” said Dr. Julie McCargar, Director of Federal Programs for Tennessee. “We must act quickly when student achievement is at stake. This flexibility means schools have more tools to improve student learning sooner.”

The pilot also allows participating school systems to use a portion of their funds toward parent outreach for the first time to better inform families of their choices. The state is hosting training for districts on how best to provide and publicize these services. All students in high priority Title I schools will still have the alternative option of public school choice, which allows students to transfer to a school in good standing under NCLB.

“Our intent is for schools to use supplemental educational services as an after-school resource to raise achievement,” said Rita Fentress, Tennessee Coordinator of Public School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services. “We are optimistic that participation in this pilot will help schools reach more students and provide them the academic assistance they need.”

School systems must notify parents of student eligibility for SES within 30 days of the start of school. Districts are encouraged to offer continuous enrollment in SES, or multiple enrollment periods during the school year.

Fast Facts on SES in Tennessee:

• More than 16% of eligible students (5,065) participated in SES in 2006-07, slightly above the national average
• 91% of Tennessee parents reported satisfaction with tutoring providers in a survey by The Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis
• Roughly 4% of eligible students opted for public school choice in 2006-07
• CREP is under contract to evaluate district and school implementation of supplemental educational services, and provider performance in serving students

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.