NCLB Parental Choice and SES 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: After a school is identified for school improvement in year 3 under NCLB, which additional option becomes available to eligible students beyond public school choice?
- Free private school vouchers
- Supplemental Educational Services (SES) (Correct answer)
- Charter school preference enrollment
- Mandatory grade retention support
Correct answer: Supplemental Educational Services (SES)
SES (free tutoring from approved outside providers) becomes available starting in year 3 of school improvement status.
Question 2: What information must an SES provider's agreement with a district include according to NCLB?
- Provider's profit margin and shareholder disclosures
- Specific achievement goals and how student progress will be measured (Correct answer)
- Names of all students receiving services
- District superintendent approval of each lesson plan
Correct answer: Specific achievement goals and how student progress will be measured
NCLB requires SES contracts to specify measurable achievement goals and assessment methods for each participating student.
Question 3: Which students at a Title I school in year 2 of improvement are eligible for the public school choice option under NCLB?
- Only students who scored below proficient on state assessments
- All students enrolled in the school, regardless of income (Correct answer)
- Only students from families below the federal poverty line
- Only students who have attended the school for more than one year
Correct answer: All students enrolled in the school, regardless of income
NCLB's public school choice option is available to all students enrolled in an identified school, not just low-income students.
Question 4: A parent whose child attends a school in year 2 of improvement wants to transfer to a higher-performing school in the same district. The district claims no seats are available. What does NCLB require the district to do?
- Wait until the following year to offer any alternative
- Seek available public school seats in neighboring districts (Correct answer)
- Provide SES tutoring instead as a substitute
- Inform the state and document the lack of capacity
Correct answer: Seek available public school seats in neighboring districts
When no seats are available within the district, NCLB requires the district to try to make arrangements with neighboring districts.
Question 5: Under NCLB, SES per-pupil expenditure cannot exceed which of the following caps?
- The district's average per-pupil expenditure for all students
- The district's average Title I per-pupil expenditure (Correct answer)
- The state's average per-pupil instructional expenditure
- A flat federal rate of $1,500 per student
Correct answer: The district's average Title I per-pupil expenditure
The SES per-pupil amount is capped at the district's Title I per-pupil expenditure to control costs.
Question 6: Which of the following is a required element of a state's SES provider approval process under NCLB?
- Providers must be nonprofit organizations
- Providers must demonstrate a record of effectiveness (Correct answer)
- Providers must be headquartered in the same state
- Providers must employ only certified teachers
Correct answer: Providers must demonstrate a record of effectiveness
States must ensure that SES providers have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing student academic achievement before approving them.
Question 7: What does NCLB require districts to do to help parents make informed SES provider choices?
- Rank providers by cost from lowest to highest
- Provide parents with a list of approved providers and their descriptions (Correct answer)
- Assign students to providers based on test score gaps
- Limit choices to one provider per geographic zone
Correct answer: Provide parents with a list of approved providers and their descriptions
Districts must give parents a list of all state-approved SES providers operating in the area along with descriptions of their services.
NCLB Parental Choice and SES 3
After a school is identified for school improvement in year 3 under NCLB, which additional option becomes available to eligible students beyond public school choice?