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 What Is ESY?

ESY is an Extended School Year for a student with a disability (not general education summer school) which may include time during the summer or even during shorter breaks such as winter or spring break.  Remember that ESY services do not replicate an entire program and that these services must be determined as needed in the student’s IEP before ESY can be delivered.

How does a student qualify for it?

The IEP team should consider the following and determine if ESY is necessary for a particular child to make progress toward the IEP goals and to prevent significant regression, which would impede progress.  Decisions regarding eligibility for ESY should be based on direct observation and data collection which verifies that significant regression has either occurred or is imminent in the absence of sustained educational service support.  Significant regression may be observed in conjunction with natural breaks that occur throughout the school year (i.e., holiday breaks) or following a summer break.   In either case, significant regression must be based on the inability of the child to recoup one or more of his/her performance levels within a reasonable time frame.  With respect to summer breaks, legal decisions over the past few years have concluded that if a child is unable to recoup established skills within the first 9 weeks of the new school term, then ESY services should be considered for the following summer.  However, each case must be analyzed individually based on student need.  The following is a list of factors that should be considered:

1. Is a significant regression anticipated if ESY services are not provided?

2. What is the nature and severity of the disability?

3. Are instructional areas or related services needed that are crucial in moving toward self-sufficiency and independence?

4. Have data and other information available to support your decision.

What must you do to the IEP for ESY services?

1. Send out a 10 day notice to parents and team about possible revisions to the IEP.

2. Update ESY section in IEP: 

a)  include information about the duration and content     of the program

b) describe which current goals and objectives will be addressed to maintain present skills and behaviors (current frequency of time spent on a goal will not be reasonable since ESY is only to prevent regression

c) provider that will be implementing ESY (also include this on the Anticipated Services Chart as “S” time)

3. change of placement form for these services – make sure the services have a start and end date and then document that the current Placement will go back into effect

Coordinator needs the following information by May 1:

1. Name of teacher and/or paras delivering services for ESY (if you are recommending students for ESY but are not available during the summer, please send that information as well)

2. Where ESY will occur (child’s home, name of school, etc)

3. Name of student receiving services

4. Number of days and hours for services; for how many weeks?