Value-Added Effects of Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding on Students in the Surry County Schools

This study examined the value-added effects of tutoring funded through DSSF on the academic achievement growth of students in the Surry County Schools. Created in response to a judicially mandated attempt to provide equitable instruction to all students across North Carolina, DSSF tutoring intends to help academically disadvantaged students receive a sound basic education. To determine progress toward the goal, this study sought to determine 1) whether students who participated in DSSF tutoring had higher academic achievement growth rates in reading and mathematics than students who did not participate in tutoring, 2) whether some schools had more effective tutoring programs than others, 3) the characteristics of effective programs. To gather evidence to answer the questions, a three-level HLM composed of three years of student EOG developmental scale scores was developed. In addition, administrators at each school were interviewed regarding their DSSF tutoring programs. Results of the multi-level analysis showed a significantly increased achievement growth rate in reading, but not in mathematics. Interview data indicated similar interventions, procedures, and organizational structures in both effective and less effective schools and therefore did not assist in identifying unique characteristics of the more effective programs.