About Tutorsforkids.org
Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, low-income children in public schools in “need of improvement” can receive free tutoring, also called supplemental educational services (SES). The SESQ Center operated from October 2003 through December 2005. The Supplemental Educational Services Quality (SESQ) Center helped families take advantage of this opportunity to get children the extra academic help they need. The Center was established through a grant to the American Institutes for Research from the Office Of Innovation and Improvement of the U.S. Department of Education.
What are supplemental educational services?
Generally, supplemental educational services (SES) are free tutoring services that must be offered to low-income children who attend a Title I school that has not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for at least 3 consecutive years.
Low-income students are generally those who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
The tutoring is paid for by the school district and is available in reading, math and other core subjects. It may be offered before or after school, on weekends or in the summer. Parents may choose a local tutoring provider from a list developed by their state.
A wide range of tutoring providers, including for-profit companies and non-profit groups, can apply to the state to deliver these services. For more information about SES, visit our SES: The Basics page.
What services did the SESQ Center offer?
The SESQ Center operated from October 2003 through December 2005.
The SESQ Center worked to:
- Increase the number of eligible children receiving free tutoring,
- Expand the number and range of high-quality tutoring services offered.
- Improve district, state, and national coordination of the program.
The SESQ Center provided technical assistance at the local and state level through a network of demonstration districts and states.
At the national level, the SESQ Center created a network of organizations to coordinate and improve research and assistance on supplemental services. The SESQ Center website, tutorsforkids.org, turned “lessons learned” into tools and resources on effective supplemental services implementation that can be replicated by other districts and states. To access SES tools and find links to other organizations working on SES, visit our Resources page.