Extended School Year Services (ESY): A Parent's Guide for Summer

What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?

ESY services are special education and related services provided to children during long breaks from school if evidence shows that a student would otherwise require an excessive amount of time to regain previously learned skills. They are directly tied to Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and are not the same as summer school. Typically, ESY is provided for a shortened duration during the summer , but it should be long enough and frequent enough to prevent your child from regressing on their IEP goals.

How are ESY Services Determined?

The IEP team determines ESY services. Schools should collect data pre- and post-school breaks to document whether a student regresses on their IEP goals during these breaks. Common times to do this are during long four-day weekends, over holidays, and spring break. Before making an ESY decision, the IEP team should review regression and recoupment data and consider parent input. Regression is when your student loses skills over an extended break from school. Recoupment is the amount of time it takes for them to relearn those skills.

Factors IEP Teams Should Consider When Determining ESY Eligibility

In addition to regression and recoupment data, IEP teams should consider several other factors when determining whether a student needs ESY services. These may include the severity of the student's disability, behaviors that affect the student's access to education, the risk of losing important life skills during a school break, emerging skills that are close to mastery, and the amount of time it takes the student to learn new skills.

Why Should ESY Decisions Be Based on Data?

Sometimes, IEP teams try to predetermine that there is no need for ESY services at the annual IEP meeting or when implementing an initial IEP, without data to back up the decision. Send a written request to your IEP team to review the need for ESY services about 2-3 months before summer, when schools frequently submit ESY numbers to the school district. You can request an IEP meeting to review this information.

How Can Parents Support the ESY Decision-Making Process?

Keep track of your child’s progress towards their IEP goals. Ask the school for explicit evidence of growth on goals, how frequently progress is tracked, and a document that demonstrates growth and/or regression on each IEP goal, especially before and after lengthy breaks from school. This data is critical for determining whether your child needs extended school year services. A student can qualify for ESY in one goal area but not another. It all comes down to what the data shows. Partners in PROMISE (PiP) has a resource to help you stay organized with all of your child’s IEPs, Progress reports, and evaluations. You can download the IEP binder here (https://thepromiseact.org/resources/binder/) .

What Rights Do Families Have Regarding Extended School Year Services?

ESY services may vary by district and state, but schools cannot tell families that they do not offer ESY services. The IEP team must consider each student's individual needs when determining whether ESY is necessary to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). If a school denies ESY for your child, request a Prior Written Notice (PWN) explaining the decision and the data used to support it. You may also request an IEP meeting to discuss your concerns.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide ESY services at no cost to families when the IEP team determines that a student needs them. Because the IEP team makes ESY eligibility decisions, remember that you are an important part of that team. Districts cannot limit ESY services to certain disability categories; the IEP team must make decisions based on each student's unique needs.

What Should Military Families Know About ESY When Moving During the Summer?

If your child’s IEP team has determined that your child needs ESY services and you are moving before they can receive these services, reach out to the new school district as soon as possible! Schools are required to provide comparable services, including ESY. For more information on this, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services issued OSEP Policy Support 22-02. The letter (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/Letter-to-State-Directors-of-Special-Education-on-Ensuring-a-High-Quality-Education-for-Highly-Mobile-Children-11-10-2022.pdf) to state directors of special education focused on ensuring high-quality education for highly mobile children, including military-connected students.

How Can Parents Support Learning at Home During Summer Break?

Stick to a routine, continue to work on IEP goals, and keep track of any data you collect regarding loss of skills, behavior issues, or anything that you are concerned about with your child to share with the school. This data can help determine ESY services. Finally, you may wish to tap into free summer tutoring through tutor.com (https://military.tutor.com/home) , available to all military-connected students.

Whether your child is participating in ESY this summer or not, we wish you a happy and safe summer with your exceptional learner!

About the Author - Barbara Bratton

[Image] https://thepromiseact.org/wp-content/uploads/Barbara.jpg

Barbara Bratton is a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education and a Master of Education in Special Education with a focus in Multisensory Structured Language Education. Barbara is the author of Maggie with a G (https://store.bookbaby.com/book/maggie-with-a-g?srsltid=AfmBOoo3teixJKfc6FQYfBcwjwAAJxnpgqICrCtPWEu0Efjl1-zya6c-) , a story of a young military-connected student overcoming a speech disability. She is a Special Education Mentor for PiP.