School District Services

PA Tutoring Funds FAQs

Students in my school district would benefit from a well-run tutoring program, how can we fund it?

The Pennsylvania Department of Education offers two primary funding sources for tutoring programs: Educational Assistance Program (EAP) and Supplemental Education Services (SES.)

What is the Educational Assistance Program (EAP)?

The Educational Assistance Program provides funding to eligible school districts with the most severe academic challenges. These school districts have at least one building that did not make school-wide Adequate Yearly Progress targets in reading or math. In these districts, students are eligible for tutoring if they are:

  • In grades K-3 and are below the standard
  • In grade 4 and scored below proficient on the grade 3 PSSA
  • In grade 6 and scored below proficient on the grade 5 PSSA
  • In grade 9 and scored below proficient on the grade 8 PSSA

If your district fits the criteria, you may apply for funds through the eGrants link on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website: www.pde.state.pa.us.

What are Supplemental Education Services?

Supplemental Educational Services (SES) fall under Section 1116 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, P.L. 107-110. SES provides extra academic assistance for low-income students who are attending Title I Schools that have failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for three or more years. The Learning Lamp is a Pennsylvania Department of Education-approved SES provider, and will work with families in your district to provide quality, content-driven tutoring sessions on a mobile basis. Our tutoring program is designed to reinforce lessons taught in the classroom, close skill gaps and enhance student performance on standardized tests.

Is there any other way my district can fund tutoring?

The Accountability Block Grant (ABG) provides Pennsylvania school districts with financial assistance to implement effective educational practices and initiatives to improve student achievement. The Block Grant is an exceptional opportunity for districts in that it supports in-depth implementation of improvement strategies and allows districts to select from a breadth of programs to meet the specific learning needs of their students.

School districts can use Accountability Block Grants to start or expand tutoring programs. Grant guidelines are announced on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website in March, and school districts can apply for funding in April and May. Funding amounts are determined by a set formula:

  • 75% of allocated funding comes from the percentage of students scoring below proficiency on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test as a way to target students who need the extra assistance the most.
  • 25% of allocated funding comes from the percentage of students scoring proficient or above on the PSSA in an effort to maintain the achievement of those students.

For more information, log onto www.pde.state.pa.us and click on “Accountability Block Grants.”

My district can’t fund a tutoring program, but we’d still like to have one. Are there other options available to us?

School districts across the nation have developed successful volunteer tutoring programs with the help of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS.) CNCS funds the AmeriCorps and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. They also provide free resources for volunteer tutoring programs, including training videos and materials, tutor handbooks and support materials for tutoring program coordinators. For more information, log onto www.nationalservice.org. Additional resources for volunteer tutoring programs are available from the Northwest Education Research Laboratory. Most resources are free, and can be downloaded from their website: www.nwrel.org.

Questions? Call the Learning Lamp at (814)262-0732

All information excerpted from the Pennsylvania Department of Education website: www.pde.state.pa.us

“The Learning Lamp has helped my son tremendously. Not only has he brought his math and science grades up from C’s to A’s, but his self confidence has improved. He now has the self-esteem to do things on his own. I would highly recommend this program to any parent or child.”
-Dianna, Mom from Windber
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The Learning Lamp is a Pennsylvania Department of Education Approved Educational Assistance Program Provider