MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Federal Title I
Supplemental
Educational
Services
Frequently Asked Questions About the Federal Title I
Supplemental Educational Services (SES) 2005–2006 School
Year
Introduction
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act) is a fed eral law that
requires scho ol districts to offer inco m e- eligible stud ents in id entified
fed erally-fund ed Title I scho ols the option to receive Supple m ental
Educational Services (SES). Your child’s scho ol m ay participate in the SES
progra m in the upco ming scho ol year. Inco m e eligibility is d etermined
ba sed on the stud ent’s 2005–2006 Free and R educed-price Meals Syste m
(FARMS) application. The following inform ation answers so m e question s
that you m ay have ab o ut the SES progra m.
What are supplemental educational services?
SES is a reading and/or m athe m atics tutoring progra m that ta kes place
b efore or after scho ol or on week end s. Only inco m e- eligible stud ents
m ay participate in the progra m, which is offered at no cost to fa milies.
However, transportation is not available. Only state- approved SES
provid ers can tutor eligible stud ents. Fa milies select the provid er fro m th e
list includ ed in this brochure using the enclos ed SES Interest Survey to
apply.
How was my school identified for this program?
There are sp ecific fed eral rules und er the NCLB Act that apply to the
annual p erform ance of stud ents in Title I scho ols. In Maryland, stud ents
in Grad es 3 through 8 and Grad e 10 ta ke the Maryland School
Assess m ent (MSA) test each year. The Maryland State Dep artm ent of
Education (MSDE) sets sp ecific MSA im provem ent g o als in reading and
m athe m atics and attend ance or graduation rate. These go als are known
a s Ad equate Yearly Progress (AYP). Title I scho ols offer parents SES if
one of the following occurs:
The scho ol do es not m e et the state improve m ent go al for three or
m ore cons ecutive years and is id entified for scho ol improve m ent,
corrective action, or restructuring.
Once id entified, the scho ol m e ets the target for one year, but not
the ne xt.
Schools m ust continue to offer SES until state im prove m ent g o als are m et
for two consecutive years. When the targ ets are m et for two consecutive
years, SES is no long er offered.
Can every student in a Title I school participate in the
SES program?
No. Only stud ents who qualify for FARMS are eligible
b ecaus e of the limited num b er of spaces in the SES
Montgo m ery County Public Schools (MC PS) m ay not be
every eligible stud ent. P articipation in the progra m is
num b er of a pplicants a nd the a m o unt of funds available.
for SES. Also,
progra m, the
able to enroll
ba sed on the
How do families choose the services and providers
their child receives?
A list of all approved provid ers who m ay offer services in MC PS is includ ed
in this brochure. Fa milies are able to choo se a m o ng different typ es of
provid ers who offer services at different locations. Staff at your scho ol can
help you select a provid er if you ask them for assistance, and an SES
noteb o o k with m ore d etailed inform ation is available at the scho ol.
Fa milies are also encourag ed to attend advertised m e eting s to talk with
provid ers. You m ay wish to contact the provid ers directly to g et m ore
inform ation about their services and progra m s. (See list of provid ers
includ ed in this brochure.) There is no ob ligation to enroll your child in
SES.
How does an SES provider get paid?
MC PS will pay the provid ers directly, base d on a pre-approved contract.
Provid ers are only paid for the hours that they provid e direct tutoring to
your child. Th ere is no cost to parents.
Who are the SES providers?
SES provid ers are co m p anies or orga nizatio ns that are approved by MSDE
to offer services to your child. A brief d escription of all provid ers and the
services they offer is includ ed in this brochure. At this tim e, thes e are th e
only approved provid ers who agree to work with MC PS stud ents.
How do I apply for SES services for my child?
If your child is approved to receive FARMS in an id entified Title I scho ol,
you can apply for SES services. Co m plete the SES Interest Survey and
return it to your child’s scho ol by Septe m b e r 23, 2005.
Does everyone who applies for SES participate in the
program?
The NCLB Act m and ates that a sp ecific p ercentag e of the district’s Title I
funds b e us ed to pay for SES. The SES Interest Survey will b e us ed to
d etermine the num b er of participants. If there are insufficient funds to
pay for all applicants, we will give first priority to the lowest-achieving
stud ents. The achieve m ent level will b e ba sed on the stud ent’s score on
the MSA, the MC PS Assess m ent Progra m, and other available educational
data. In cases in which stud ents have the sa m e scores, we will select
stud ents for the SES progra m by rando m lo ttery.
When will services begin and for how long will services
be provided?
Our plan is to b egin services for incom e- eligible stud ents at the
b eginning of Nove m b er. The provid ers offer a pred etermined num b er of
sessions that ta k e place during the scho o l year. The services must b e
co mpleted in the scho ol year in which they b egin.
Is transportation provided for students who qualify for
SES?
No. Transp ortation for SES is the resp onsibility of the stud ent’s fa mily.
Can families who enrolled their children in another
MCPS school using the Federal Title I School Choice
Option receive SES?
No. Fa milies of stud ents who attend Title I scho ols in year 2 of scho ol
improve m ent, corrective action, or restructuring have the option to select
either scho ol choice or SES, but not both. If your child is p articipating in
the Fed eral Title I School Choice Option and qualifies for FARMS, you m ay
d ecid e to return to your ho m e scho ol and requ est SES. However, until all
applications are received, there is no guarantee that SES services will b e
available for every child ba sed on funding.
How will I know if my child was approved for SES
services?
All fa milies who sub mit an SES Interest Survey will b e notified in writing in
Octob er 2005 regarding the status of their request. Also, if your child is
approved, the SES provid er will contact you with sp ecific inform ation about
the progra m ( e.g., tim e and location).
Will SES always be available at my child’s Title I
school?
No, Title I scho ols that m e et the state achieve m ent standards for two
consecutive years are rem oved fro m scho o l improve m ent status and are
no long er req uired to offer SES or scho ol choice.
How can I learn more about SES?
Fa milies can attend the scheduled m e eting at their ho m e scho ol, and/or
contact their ho m e scho ol princip al or the Division of Acad e mic Support,
Fed eral and State Progra m s at 301-230-0660.
This document is available in an alternate format, upon request, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, by
contacting the Department of Communications, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, 301-279-3391 or
1-800-735-2258 (Maryland Relay).
Individuals who need sign language interpretation or cued speech transliteration in communicating with the
Montgomery County Public Schools may contact Interpreting Services in Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing at
301-517-5539 or 5582 (Voice/TTY).
The Montgomery County Public Schools prohibits illegal discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin,
religion, gender, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, or
disability. Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination should be directed to the Office of Human Resources,
7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 401, Rockville, MD 20855, at 301-279-3361 (for employment) and the Office of School
Performance,
850
Hungerford
Drive,
Rockville,
MD
20850,
at
301-279-8715 (for educational programs and activities). Inquiries or complaints regarding Title IX issues such as
gender equity and sexual harassment should be directed to the Title IX coordinator, Office of Strategic Technologies
and Accountability, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, at 301-279-3581.
Rockville, Maryland
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