Supplemental Service Providers
Parent Guide for Choosing Supplemental Educational Services
What are Supplemental Educational Services?
Under the No Child Left Behind legislation, some students who attend Title I schools that are identified for school improvement are eligible to receive supplemental educational services. Supplemental educational services provide additional instructional support, which may include tutoring, small group instruction, or computer assisted learning in reading or math. These services may be provided before or after school, on weekends, or during the summer. If your child is eligible for supplemental educational services, the county Title I program will pay a specified amount per child per year for supplemental educational services. These services are provided in addition to all the other activities your school is doing to improve learning.
Who is eligible for Supplemental Educational Services?
Students are eligible for supplemental services based on economic and academic need. The county Title I office will prioritize students by verifying free/reduced lunch program eligibility and by ranking students from lowest to highest achievement level. The county will notify you if your child is eligible for supplemental services. Neither schools nor providers are permitted to make public the names of eligible students.
Who are Supplemental Services Providers?
The State Department of Education gives local school districts a list of approved supplemental service providers. Approve providers may include colleges or universities, Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESA), and commercial companies.
What do I need to know about supplemental educational providers?
All supplemental service providers receive formal approval from West Virginia State Department of Education.
All supplemental service providers have set their own fees for services. The fees charged by the supplemental service provider will affect the number of hours and number of weeks of service a student may receive.
Providers may provide services at a school site, a center, or online through the Internet. Providers may deliver services to students individually or in small groups.
Providers must align their instruction with the West Virginia State Content Standards and objectives for reading/language arts and math to support current grade level classroom instruction.
After selecting a supplemental educational services provider, parents must sign a contract with the provider. This agreement must state specific instructional goals, timelines for achieving the goals, and information concerning the distribution of progress reports to parents and classroom teachers. Habitual tardiness or excessive unexcused absences will terminate services.
Who selects a supplemental service provider for my child?
The parents/guardians select from a list of service providers in their local area. Parents/guardians may request assistance with the selection of a provider from the school or district staff.
Who pays for supplemental educational services?
According to federal law, the Clay County Schools must set aside a portion of its Title I funding to provide supplemental educational services for eligible students. The county signs an agreement to pay for the services for each child chosen by the parent (up to the amount set aside for each child).
How do I request supplemental educational services?
Clay County Middle School will contact eligible students from a prioritized list in order of their priority number. Parents will then be asked to complete a Supplemental Educational Services Request form. Clay County Schools may establish a reasonable deadline by which parents must request services.
Do I have to participate in supplemental educational services for my child?
No, however, districts must offer parents and eligible children the opportunity to receive supplemental educational services.
How do I choose a supplemental educational service provider for my child?
Parents select a provider from a list provided by the district. All SES providers will have met the state criteria for approval and are capable of providing services in the county. This list will include information including the providers’ qualifications, the type of services provided, the location of the services, and the effectiveness of their services.
The following questions will help you select the best provider for your child.
1. Where will the services be provided - at the school, at another building in the community, or by computer?
2. What services does this provider offer?
3. If services are provided via computer technology, do I need my own computer and Internet access?
4. Is transportation to the services provided? (School districts are NOT required to provide transportation for supplemental educational services.)
5. How many sessions of instruction will my child receive and how long will each session last? (If you want your child to receive more sessions than the district can pay for, you will need to pay for those sessions on your own.)
6. Who will be my child’s instructor? Will the instructor be a qualified teacher?
7. What is the student-to-teacher ratio?
8. Will my child work with the same instructor at each session?
9. Does the provider conduct criminal background checks on all employees who come in contact with children?
10. Do the materials used in the provider’s program cover the same material my child is being taught at school?
11. How will the provider assist me in helping my child at home?
12. Are the provider’s materials up-to-date? Do the materials contain religious or cultural messages that make me uncomfortable?
13. Is the atmosphere at the provider’s facility comfortable and inviting to my child?
14. What kind of evidence does the provider have that its program has helped other students? Does the provider have references?
15. How often will the provider report my child’s progress to me and my child’s teacher? Will these reports be phone calls, written reports, or meetings?
16. Will the communications be two-way?
17. Are the facilities and materials appropriate for children with special needs?
18. Can the instructors communicate with children who have language or speech difficulties?
19. What happens if my child misses a session or is late? How do I contact the provider?
Choosing a provider may not be easy, but your school or the district Title I staff can answer your questions and help you make an informed decision.
What can I expect from my child’s supplemental educational service provider?
The provider should regularly communicate with you to let you know if your child is meeting his/her learning goals. If the goals are not being met, the school, the provider, and the parent should discuss changes that need to be made.
What if I’m not satisfied with my child’s provider?
If you feel that your child is not making sufficient progress, first talk to the provider. If you are still not satisfied, then confer with your child’s school to evaluate the effectiveness of the services your child is receiving. If you conclude the services aren’t helping your child reach his/her goals, talk with the principal or Title I office about what next steps need to be taken.
What are the parent’s responsibilities?
1. Parents should assure that their children arrive on time and attend sessions regularly.
2. Parents need to contact the provider as soon as possible in case of a necessary absence.
3. Parents should communicate regularly with the provider.
4. The provider should communicate with the child’s school or teacher.
Free Tutoring for Your Child
January 9, 2012
Dear Parent:
You received a letter earlier this year indicating that your child qualified for free tutoring this school year! Because Clay County Middle School did not make adequate academic progress for three or more years, Clay County Schools is offering free tutoring (known as “supplemental educational services”) for your child and other students in your school who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch.
This tutoring should help your child do well in school, and it will be provided after the regular instructional day and be available from November 1, 2011-April 11, 2012. You can choose a tutoring program that has been approved by the West Virginia Department of Education and is available in our geographic location. A list is available by visiting claycountymiddleschool.org and choosing the NEWS tab. You may also call Ms. Stephenson, and she will send you a copy.
Please note that several parents chose RESA III as a provider. RESA III provides tutoring at Clay County Middle School on Wednesday evenings from 3:30-5:45. Ms. Brittany McGowan and Ms. Autumn Wiley are the tutors.
According to our records, your child currently is eligible for the free and reduced meal program and is eligible to receive free tutoring. However, if the county funds are not sufficient to provide tutoring to all eligible students, federal law requires that priority be given to the lowest achieving eligible students. If you are interested in having your child participate in this opportunity, please complete the enclosed form and return it to Anita Stephenson at Clay County Middle School by January 30, 2012.
Students with disabilities have special and specific needs. It may not be appropriate to offer students with disabilities the same supplemental educational service providers as offered to non-disabled students. In determining the provider options available to disabled students, the county will match the abilities and needs of a student with disabilities with providers that have the capability to provide appropriate supplemental educational services. Therefore, if the parent(s) of a student with a disability expresses an interest in supplemental educational services, education representatives will meet with the parent(s) to discuss their child’s specific needs in relation to provider services. The parent must request this meeting by calling the Joan Haynie at Clay County Schools Central Office at (304) 587-4266.
To help you select a tutoring program, we will hold a meeting for parents. At that time, an overview of each program will be presented and you will have an opportunity to ask questions. We will let you know soon the date, time and location for the meeting. Thank you and we hope you sign up your children. Don’t miss this opportunity!
Supplemental Educational Services
Complete and return to Clay County Middle School
by January 30, 2012.
Student’s Name _________________________________________________
Parent’s Name __________________________________________________
Mailing Address _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Telephone number (home) ___________________ (work) ________________
First Choice for Provider __________________________________________________
Second Choice for Provider ________________________________________________
Parent Letter for Supplemental Educational Services
Free Tutoring for Your Child
October 14, 2011
Dear Parent:
Your child may receive free tutoring this school year! Because your child’s school did not make adequate academic progress for three or more years, Clay County Schools is offering free tutoring (known as “supplemental educational services”) for your child and other students in your school who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch.
This tutoring should help your child do well in school, and it will be provided after the regular instructional day and be available from November 1, 2011-April 11, 2011. You can choose a tutoring program that has been approved by the West Virginia Department of Education and is available in our geographic location. This chart lists each tutoring program available in our county.
Please note that Clay County Schools and RESA III are the only providers who offer services at Clay County Middle School.
According to our records, your child currently is eligible for the free and reduced meal program and is eligible to receive free tutoring. However, if the county funds are not sufficient to provide tutoring to all eligible students, federal law requires that priority be given to the lowest achieving eligible students. If you are interested in having your child participate in this opportunity, please complete the enclosed form and return it to Anita Stephenson at Clay County Middle School by October 25, 2011.
Students with disabilities have special and specific needs. It may not be appropriate to offer students with disabilities the same supplemental educational service providers as offered to non-disabled students. In determining the provider options available to disabled students, the county will match the abilities and needs of a student with disabilities with providers that have the capability to provide appropriate supplemental educational services. Therefore, if the parent(s) of a student with a disability expresses an interest in supplemental educational services, education representatives will meet with the parent(s) to discuss their child’s specific needs in relation to provider services. The parent must request this meeting by calling the Joan Haynie at Clay County Schools Central Office at (304) 587-4266.
To help you select a tutoring program, we will hold a meeting for parents. At that time, an overview of each program will be presented and you will have an opportunity to ask questions. We will let you know soon the date, time and location for the meeting. Thank you and we hope you sign up your children. Don’t miss this opportunity!
Supplemental Educational Services
Complete and return to Clay County Middle School
by October 25, 2011.
Student’s Name _________________________________________________
Parent’s Name __________________________________________________
Mailing Address _________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Telephone number (home) ___________________ (work) ________________
First Choice for Provider __________________________________________________
Second Choice for Provider ________________________________________________
.
