ED Invites More States to SES Pilot Program

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) sent a letter to chief state school officers inviting more states to apply for participation in the supplemental educational services (SES) pilot program. The pilot grants states flexibility to offer SES to students in the first year of school improvement. States that wish to participate in this flexibility for the 2007-08 year must submit their proposals to ED by Wednesday, June 20. Only states may apply directly to the ED for this flexibility. Local educational agencies (LEAs) may not apply directly to ED.


In the 2005-06 school year, Secretary Spellings granted four LEAs in Virginia the flexibility to offer SES to students one year early in exchange for the LEAs and the State meeting a set of implementation conditions. In the 2006-07 school year, Secretary Spellings expanded the pilot by adding LEAs in Alaska, Delaware, Indiana and North Carolina.
ED is also piloting an SES program that allows large districts to be eligible to serve as SES providers. Chicago Public Schools and Boston Public Schools were the first urban districts to enter into this flexibility agreement with the Department in the 2005-2006 school year and the Anchorage School District and Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida, joined the pilot in the 2006-07 school year.
Resources:
“Dear Colleague” letter regarding the pilot program allowing districts to offer SES to students in schools in year 1 of improvement, Office of Innovation and Improvement, United States Department of Education, May 30, 2007.
Author: DAD