House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee’s Senior Republican, today highlighted a new U.S. Education Department report, which underscored positive academic results for students who have received supplemental educational services through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Under NCLB, students attending public schools that have not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for three consecutive years have the right to take advantage of free supplemental educational services, such as private tutoring. 

“This report represents encouraging news for those who are aiming to expand parental options during this year’s reauthorization of No Child Left Behind,” said McKeon.  “Access to free tutoring is vital to the success of No Child Left Behind and provides an opportunity for students to increase their academic achievement in math, reading, and other important subjects.”

Specifically, the Education Department report – “State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act: Volume I - Title I School Choice, Supplemental Educational Services, and Student Achievement” – uncovered several key findings, including:

• Students who received supplemental educational services under NCLB scored higher in both reading and math in the first year of receiving the free tutoring, with even better results in the second and other years thereafter; and
• African-American, Hispanic, and Limited English Proficient students, as well as students with disabilities, have particularly high participation rates in supplemental educational services.

In spite of today’s positive news, earlier reports have highlighted a lack of parental awareness with regard to NCLB’s free tutoring options, meaning many eligible students do not have the chance to take full advantage of these benefits under the law.  As part of the NCLB reauthorization process, to improve parental awareness of these options and student access to free tutoring, McKeon last month introduced the Improving Supplemental Education by Ensuring Parental Awareness Act (H.R. 2203).

H.R. 2203 would allow students attending public schools that do not make AYP for TWO years – rather the current three year wait – to take advantage of free tutoring services under NCLB.  The measure also would require districts to document parental awareness that free tutoring options exist for their children or, alternatively, have certain policies in place which have been found to lead to greater participation in SES programs.  And finally, the bill would remove the current incentive NOT to spend federal Title I funds set-aside for the free tutoring options.  Under current law, any set–aside funds not used by a school district for SES programs or transportation revert back to the district to use for any other purpose.  Such a practice creates – either purposely or inadvertently – barriers to student participation in SES programs.  McKeon’s bill simply would require that leftover funds roll-over into an SES program account to be used during the following school year(s).  

“It’s become clear that free tutoring options under NCLB are making a real difference for students across the country, but far too many parents remain unaware that these options may be available to their children,” concluded McKeon.  “It’s time to do something about it.  Congress cannot afford to ignore the students trapped in underperforming schools without proper access to the free-tutoring services that they are entitled to receive.”

To view the Department of Education’s report, visit: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/choice/implementation/achievementanalysis.pdf.  And for more information on the Improving Supplemental Education by Ensuring Parental Awareness Act, please visit: http://republicans.edlabor.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=131&IID=4.

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