teach1st
08-03-2005, 09:55 PM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8718035/
The 3-year-old No Child Left Behind Act has opened the door for hundreds of companies to grab part of a rapidly growing market in private tutoring services for low-income students, paid for by federal tax dollars.
Poorly performing schools are expected to funnel more than $900 million to private tutoring services in the coming school year under the landmark federal law, up from about $700 million in the year just ended.
The money, an average of $1,200 per student served, is going both to for-profit and non-profit service providers, including big publicly held companies like Educate Inc. and The Princeton Review, non-profits like the Boys & Girls Club of America, local mom ‘n’ pop companies and faith-based organizations.
The tutoring program, one of several ways the 2001 law has created opportunities for private enterprise to profit from public education, has drawn scrutiny in recent months in part because of rules that require local authorities to give plenty of leeway to the private tutoring outfits.
“The Department of Education has been pretty clear in the guidance they have issued that they want to have as few restrictions as possible so they will have more providers available to offer services,” said Diane Rentner, deputy director of the Center for Education Policy, an advocacy group.
Read more (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8718035/)
The 3-year-old No Child Left Behind Act has opened the door for hundreds of companies to grab part of a rapidly growing market in private tutoring services for low-income students, paid for by federal tax dollars.
Poorly performing schools are expected to funnel more than $900 million to private tutoring services in the coming school year under the landmark federal law, up from about $700 million in the year just ended.
The money, an average of $1,200 per student served, is going both to for-profit and non-profit service providers, including big publicly held companies like Educate Inc. and The Princeton Review, non-profits like the Boys & Girls Club of America, local mom ‘n’ pop companies and faith-based organizations.
The tutoring program, one of several ways the 2001 law has created opportunities for private enterprise to profit from public education, has drawn scrutiny in recent months in part because of rules that require local authorities to give plenty of leeway to the private tutoring outfits.
“The Department of Education has been pretty clear in the guidance they have issued that they want to have as few restrictions as possible so they will have more providers available to offer services,” said Diane Rentner, deputy director of the Center for Education Policy, an advocacy group.
Read more (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8718035/)