Extended School Year ESY
Extended School Year Services for Students with Disabilities
What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?
Extended School Year (ESY) services is an individualized instructional program for eligible students with disabilities that is provided beyond the regular school year. The need for ESY services must be determined on an individual basis by the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee. The individualized education program (IEP) developed for ESY must include goals and objectives.
The need for ESY services must be documented by formal or informal evaluations provided by the district or the parents. If a student requires a significant amount of time to recoup acquired critical skills, then the ARD committee must discuss whether the student needs extended educational or related services during school breaks. If the loss of acquired critical skills is particularly severe or substantial, or if such loss results, or reasonably may be expected to result, in immediate physical harm to the student or to others, ESY services may be justified without consideration of the period of time for recoupment of such skills.
To maintain identified critical skills for students with disabilities, the following requirements are made to make sure that ESY services are available, as necessary, to provide a free, appropriate public education:
- ESY services are determined by the student’s ARD committee. Services are student-need driven and include a variety of options. ESY goals and activities are reflected in the student’s current IEP.
- ESY services are not limited to particular categories of disability. District information reflects that all disability categories are considered for ESY. Consideration is by individual student need.
- ESY services are not unilaterally limited as to the type, amount, or duration. Consideration of service delivery includes community options and services.
- Transportation, as a related service, is considered and offered to students with disabilities who need this service to benefit from ESY services.
All district staff, including administrators, supervisors, teachers, related service personnel, and teaching assistants, understand the purpose of ESY services and the role staff play in the consideration and delivery of ESY services. District staff participate in the consideration of ESY services discussion. Those staff involved in the provision of ESY services are informed of the student’s goals and other information related to ensuring the effectiveness of the services.
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 critical life skills last summer?
- How long does it usually take your child to regain the critical life skills he or she has lost after an extended break from school?
Resources
Below are some resources about ESY: