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ESY Parent Guide

Extended School Year Services

A Parent’s Guide
 

What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?

Extended School Year Services (ESY) are individualized instructional programs provided to eligible students with disabilities beyond the regular school year.  These services must be determined on an individual basis by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee and must be addressed annually for each student with a disability.


What is the purpose for Extended Year Services?

The purpose of Extended School Year Services (ESY) is to address severe and substantial regression in one or more acquired critical skills that cannot be recouped within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed eight weeks.


Who determined whether a student with a disability needs Extended Year Services?

The ARD Committee will decide if the student has exhibited regression OR may be reasonably expected to exhibit severe and substantial regression in one or more acquired critical skills.  The ARD Committee determines which services are to be provided to the student during ESY.  The ARD Committee will review the documentation of regression to determine in which goals and objectives the student that experienced severe and substantial regression.  The frequency and duration of ESY services are based on the requirements of the selected goals and objectives. Data is collected throughout the school year and parents will be notified if data indicates regression. Parents may contact the campus diagnostician, speech language pathologist, special education teacher, or administrator at any time with any concerns of regression.


How does the ARD Committee decide whether a student with disabilities needs Extended School Year Services?

The ARD Committee determines if the loss of an acquired skill would lead to the following occurrence during the first eight weeks of the next regular school year:

  • Placement would be more restrictive.
  • Significant loss of acquired skills necessary for the student to appropriately progress in the general curriculum
  • Significant loss of self-sufficiency in self-help skills as evidenced by increase in number of direct service staff and/or amount of time required to provide special education or related services
  • Loss of access to community-based independent living skills instruction or to an independent living environment provided by non-educational sources as a result of regression in skills
  • Loss of access to on-the-job training or productive employment as a result of regression in skills


Does the receipt of Extended School year Services (ESY) one summer assure ESY Services during the following summer?

No, a student’s involvement in ESY services one year does not automatically guarantee services for the following year.  The decision to provide ESY services is determined annually by the ARD Committee.


What information can I provide to assist the ARD Committee in the decision making process?

You can assist by providing information about your child’s ability to maintain skills during extended breaks from school.  For example:

  • How well did your child maintain skills last summer?
  • How long does it usually take your child to regain the skills he or she has lost after an extended break from school?


What ESY is not:

  • For every student on an IEP
  • Automatically provided because the student received services the prior summer or at any other time in the past
  • Based on a disability category or medical diagnosis
  • Designed to develop new skills unrelated to the maintenance of existing skills
  • Required to be provided in integrated settings if the public agency does not provide services at that time for Its non-disabled children
  • A one-size-fits-all traditional summer school
  • Provided as a substitute for daycare
  • Compensatory education (i.e., making up for missed or inadequate services)
  • Designed to replace or duplicate alternative community resources; and/or
  • Intended to make up for absences when the parent opts to remove the student from school


Information considered for ESY determination:

  • Recoupment and Regression Data
  • Critical Life Skills progress
  • Amount of Time in Special Education during instructional week
  • Previous attendance in ESY
  • Information provided from parents
     

If you have questions or concerns, please contact your campus diagnostician, speech language pathologist or administrator.