Supplemental Educational Services as a Consequence of the NCLB Legislation: Evaluating its Impact on Student Achievement in a Large Urban District

Abstract

Supplemental Educational Services (SES), a federally mandated program, is designed to raise student achievement via the implementation of tutoring programs. Unfortunately, although the SES federal legislation has been adopted by school districts nationally, relatively limited empirical evidence from rigorous research studies exists regarding the effectiveness of SES in general, or of specific service providers in particular. Given the environment of high-stakes accountability associated with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, the extent to which SES programs can demonstrate positive effects on reading and mathematics on the state assessment must be determined. This study evaluated the effects of SES programs on student achievement and participant satisfaction in an urban school district in Kentucky. Overall, findings showed nonsignificant effects in outcomes, as well as quality concerns in processes that are claimed as a core provision within the NCLB legislation. Results indicated that achievement results on the Kentucky Core Content Test in reading and mathematics were not significantly superior for the SES participants relative to matched control students. Questionnaire responses from parents, teacher, principals, and district coordinators indicated both areas for growth and areas of satisfaction with provider services. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.