Abstract
This study aimed to compare the performance of elementary students on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in reading and mathematics between students who received SES services in grades 3-5 and students who qualified for free SES services, but did not receive SES services. Title I funds are set aside annually to pay private providers to tutor economically deprived students that attend Title I schools that fail to meet state criteria for student academic achievement. SES services cost billions of dollars nationwide. This research is meant to help determine if SES is an effective method for assisting economically deprived students meet state standards on standardized tests, thereby closing the achievement gap between students from poverty and their more affluent peers.