Bureau of Federal Educational Programs
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Public School Options
Bureau Chief
325 W. Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Mission
The mission of this office is to lead statewide efforts to close the achievement gaps affecting students whose educational opportunities are limited by low-performing schools, to increase awareness among parents and other community members about public school options in Florida and to ensure all students are well-served and No Student Is Left Behind.Title I, Part A, Choice
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in ways to strengthen parent involvement and choice in education. The most critical amendments focus attention and resources on improving low-performing schools and providing access for all students to high quality education. Under NCLB, when schools do not meet state targets for improving the achievement of all students, parents have better options, including the opportunity to send their child to another school. Parents whose children are enrolled in Title I schools that are identified in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring have the opportunity to transfer their children to a higher-performing school.Parents of students enrolled in schools in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring may also have the opportunity for their children to receive supplemental educational services (SES), which are tutoring and other academic enrichment services provided outside the regular school day and designed to enable children from low-income families to reach academic proficiency. The opportunity to obtain SES is another parental choice component of NCLB and is available to eligible students who are enrolled in schools in the second year of school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. When both options are available, parents may choose the option that most effectively meets the needs of their child.
A student is generally eligible for SES if he or she receives free or reduced-price lunch and attends a Title I school identified by the state as not meeting state targets for improving the achievement of all students for at least three consecutive years. Eligible families choose an SES provider from a list developed by the state, and school districts pay for the tutoring services.
We want to improve Florida's K-12 education:
- by empowering parents, particularly in low-income families to choose the education they determine is best for their children;
- by providing information and resources for school choice issues; and
- by promoting excellence in education by encouraging competition of supplemental education service providers
Title I, Part A, Choice funds may be used for the following:
- Supplemental Educational Services
- Public School Choice with Transportation
New and Hot Topics
- Request for Applications (RFA) Technical Assistance Meeting – January 11, 2010
- SES Provider Evaluation
- 2009-2010 NCLB Monitoring
Publications and Data
- Technical Assistance Materials
- Materials
- Approved SES Provider Directory
- Data Elements and Format for Reporting
- Data Reports related to NCLB Public School Choice
Additional Resources
- SES Contract Termination Reporting Form (Word, 57KB)
- No Child Left Behind School Choice Summary
- SES Request for Applications
- District Policies for Supplemental Educational Services
- Helpful Web Sites Regarding Other Public School Choice Options
- Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice
- SES Complaint Form (Word, 50KB)
This link will direct you to the SES complaint form and may only be used for submitting complaints regarding state-approved SES providers.
The form must be printed, completed entirely, and include an original signature, then mailed to:
Florida Department of Education
Suite 301, Office of Public School Options
325 W. Gaines St.
Tallahassee, Fl., 32399
For Further Information Please Contact:
- District Program Contact Directory
This link provides a directory of district contacts and coordinators for various programs including Title I, Parent Involvement, Controlled Open Enrollment, NCLB School Choice with Transportation, and Supplemental Educational Services.

