Impacts of Title I Supplemental Educational Services on Student Achievement

Impacts of Title I Supplemental Educational Services on Student Achievement examines the potential achievement benefits of academic support services offered outside the regular school day by state-approved Supplemental Educational Service providers. As one of the parental choice provisions implemented with Title I funds under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, parents of low-income students in low-performing schools are offered a choice of Supplemental Educational Services (SES) for their children. In the six study districts located in three states (Connecticut, Ohio, and Florida), more eligible students applied for SES than could be served with available funds, requiring prioritization of SES to the lowest-achieving students among the eligible applicants. Oversubscription for SES is unusual among school districts, and the study's six school districts are not nationally representative. The study uses a regression discontinuity design to obtain estimates of the impact of SES by comparing the outcomes of students just below and above the cutoff value for receiving services.