First off, so many don’t really have a good sense of what “extended school year” is all about. Specifically, there are students supported by an IEP, who tail off during breaks; often referred as “regression”. And in these situations, the IEP Team needs to consider the prospect of extending the school year into the period when school is typically down; often during the summer.
However, ESY services are not the same thing as summer school. They’re specialized instruction or related services that are part of an IEP.
Typically, school districts offer a program that resembles “summer school”; however, this doesn’t always work well for a number of students. So the key consideration is each child’s needs rather than a “district program”.
Wrights Law, one of the leading research resources addressing Special Education states the following:
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR (ESY) IS:
Based only on the individual student’s specific critical skills that are critical to his/her overall educational progress as determined by the IEP committee.
Designed to maintain student mastery of critical skills and objectives represented on the IEP and achieved during the regular school year.
Designed to maintain a reasonable readiness to begin the next year.
Based on multi-criteria and not solely on regression.
Considered as a strategy for minimizing the regression of skill, thus shortening the time needed to gain back the same level of skill proficiency that existed at the end of the school year.
Deliverable in a variety of environments and structures such as:
(a) Home with the parent teaching, and staff consulting
(b) School based
(c) School based with community activities
(d) Related services alone or in tandem with the above.
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR (ESY) IS NOT:
It is not a mandated 12-months service for all students with disabilities.
It is not required for the convenience of the school or parents and, therefore, cannot serve as a day care or respite care service.
It is not required or intended to maximize educational opportunities for any student with disabilities.
It is not necessary to continue instruction on all of the previous year’s IEP goals during the ESY period; rather, the focus should be on those specific, critical skills where regression, due to an extended vacation period, may occur.
It is not to be considered to help students with disabilities advance in relation to their peers.
It is not for those students with disabilities who exhibit regression, which is solely related to medical problems resulting in degeneration, or transitional life situations such as divorce or death of a family member. This type of regression is not due to the interruption of summer vacation.
It is not required solely when a child fails to achieve IEP goals and objectives during the school year.
It is not to provide a child with education beyond that is prescribed in his/her IEP goals and objectives.
And since we are in the last weeks of February, it’s time to look at your child’s progress and ask the IEP Team if “extended school year” is a needed resource supporting your child’s success.
Larry