The value of supplemental education services
In an age where students are still struggling to make up for the loss of a year of learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supplemental education services are more important than ever. But how effective are these services and what is the cost of implementing them? Let’s get into the landscape of supplemental education in America.
What are supplemental educational services?
Supplemental educational services (SES) are tools that schools, including K12 and higher education institutions, use to boost student academic achievement for those who may be underperforming. The services come in a variety of forms and are often used in addition to regular schooling.
In public K-12 education, many of these programs are often enacted in conjunction with The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), especially for students who have learning disabilities. In addition, many of the resources are focused on low-income students and school districts.
SES may include tutoring or remediation programs that are tailored to a student’s specific needs so that they can receive more individualized instruction. Each state or school district may use their NCLB Pell Grants in different ways, to focus on what kind of additional enrichment is needed most by the students in that area.
Advantages of supplemental educational services
For students that are facing educational challenges or other disadvantages, a supplemental educational service can give them the benefit they need to see academic success throughout their education. There are different forms of additional education that a learner can use, depending on their specific needs. For example, an English learner struggling to learn a new language outside of their native tongue would use different supplemental services than an eligible student who is falling behind due to a learning disability. The English learner would most likely take an English as a second language supplemental class and the student with a learning disability would benefit from another specialized service. Let’s look at some of the main advantages that come from supplemental learning.
1. Individualized instruction
One of the most helpful components of SES is a teacher’s ability to give more attention to a student, based on the smaller class size. Whether it’s truly one-on-one or a small group, an individualized education program can address a learner’s problems more effectively than a large class. In a regular learning environment, every student should receive the same lessons based on the same curriculum, which is what the Common Core ensures for K-12 education. With SES, an educator can focus on the learner’s individual learning needs and encourage a growth mindset with a unique teaching strategy.
2. Student achievement
The right SES program and teacher can help students see measurable results in their academic achievement, whether through test scores or grade reports. According to a 2022 report called “Lowering Barriers to Remote Education: Experimental Impacts on Parental Responses and Learning,” the data revealed that one-to-one teacher support helped students increase their performance in math. The same held true for other subjects as well in the K-12 school districts.
Supplemental instruction also proves to be beneficial for higher education learners, according to a study done by the faculty of California State Polytechnic University. However, their study also found that the quality of the service or program provided drastically impacts the advantages. This demonstrates that it’s not enough to just have an SES program, the assistance given to students also needs to meet a high standard. For example, in the state of California, the SES educator “must have a two-year demonstrated record of effectiveness in increasing student academic proficiency.” This qualification helps school districts provide high-quality SES.
3. Long-term study and learning habits
Aside from the obvious benefits that come with SES, a student can also get long-term tools that can help them in the future. The learner could develop better study habits, for example, that work best for their learning style. These skills can help the student become more confident and independent in their school. In an SES setting, a teacher can address negative or unhelpful behaviors that may be harming the student’s learning progress.
The cost of SES
Despite the value of SES in a regular school day, the cost of implementing these services can be expensive. With the 2001 introduction of Title I Supplemental Educational Services, public schools have to offer SES as an option for parents of low-income students in poorly-performing schools.
Because of this, there are government funds available to help with the costs associated with SES. Aside from Title 1 funding, many districts have been using money from the American Rescue Act to boost their individualized learning programs. Schools and districts each have their own requirements and will allocate funding to meet their demographic’s needs.
For education leaders, there are resources available to help find funding for SES. In 2021, Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia researchers worked to develop a Cost Feasibility Analysis (CFA) Toolkit. The resource is called “Cost-Feasibility Analysis Toolkit for Supplemental Online Programs: User Guide.“
How to effectively implement SES
Because of the many different requirements that each school district in America has, there is a great differentiation between how leaders may implement SES in their programs as providers. External support is often required to develop the right supplemental learning services. Agile Education Marketing helps clients understand the current need in education for SES solutions. To learn more about how we can help you uncover these opportunities, reach out to our team today.
