Supplemental educational services: Implications for students with disabilities

The Supplemental Educational Services (SES) provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 creates an opportunity for eligible students to receive free effective academic support services outside of the regular school day. The SES provision is relatively new and little information is currently known about the efficacy of such services. The authors conducted three substudies to determine the current nature and range of supplemental services being provided to students with disabilities. Overall, four themes emerged from the studies: (a) states are implementing SES similarly across the nation, (b) states are struggling with a variety of challenges to implement services, (c) students with disabilities typically are missing from current tracking procedures and service provision requirements, and (d) states are working hard to meet the new law's requirements. It is concluded that students with disabilities for the most part are out of sight and out of mind in current SES provision. Implications for research and practice are specified.