Supplemental Services under NCLB:

NCLB outlines new requirements for offering students supplemental services when schools are in their second year of school improvement or corrective action. The law identifies low-performing students from low-income families as the recipients of supplemental services – academic tutoring, remediation, and other education "interventions."

Supplemental services are selected by the parents of the children needing them from a list provided by the district. The services must be offered outside the school day, and be high quality; research-based; and specifically designed to improve student achievement. The instructional approaches used by the supplemental services providers must be consistent with the content and instruction of the school and district, and aligned with the state's academic content standards.

The main purpose of providing the additional services outside of school (after school and on weekends) are to help students improve their academic achievement in reading and math, measured by the state assessments, and help these students achieve the state standards.

States are required to identify organizations, both public and private, that qualify to provide supplemental services under NCLB criteria. States must also maintain and disseminate a list of supplemental services providers, and they must monitor the providers' services.

The 2007 Legislature passed HB 1077, sponsored by Rep. Ed Casso (D-Thornton), and Governor Bill Ritter signed the bill in April. The bill, entitled NCLB Supplemental Services Providers requires CDE to issue an annual request-for-proposal for tutoring and academic enrichment providers, and requires that those selected for the CDE approved-provider list meet the Highly Qualified definition for paraeducators and pass both fingerprint and background checks by the state. CEA supported the bill because it improves state-level oversight or and accountability for the quality of supplemental education services that are paid for with taxpayer dollars. (Read HB 1077).

Current Colorado-Approved Providers and Program Descriptions

School districts have several responsibilities under the Supplemental Services provisions of NCLB:

1. Identify the approved providers who have agreed under state rules to provide the services for district students;
2. Notify the parents of eligible children in eligible schools of the services and how to access them;
3. Assist parents in accessing the supplemental services providers and getting started on a plan for their children;
4. Pay for the supplemental services from Title I funds.

Other NCLB Supplemental Services Links

One-page backgrounder on Supplemental Services

U.S. Department of Education Information on Supplemental Services

NEA information on supplemental services