Extended School Year

Extended School Year (ESY) services are not the same thing as summer school. They are specialized instruction and/or related services that are part of a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These services are provided to a child with a disability beyond the normal school year, in accordance with the child’s IEP, and at no cost to the parents of the child.

The purpose of ESY services is to prevent or slow severe skill loss caused by an interruption of special education services during extended periods when school is not in session, and to reduce the period of time to relearn a lost skill. The purpose is not to enhance existing skills or to learn new skills. ESY services may be provided only when it is determined that a child might regress to such an extent in a critical skill area that relearning of the lost skill would require an unusually long period of time to relearn that skill, or make it unlikely or impossible to relearn a lost skill. Consideration is also given to skills gained during the school year that will be significantly jeopardized or to an emerging skill that will be lost without services during school calendar breaks. When it is determined by the IEP Team that a child is in need of ESY, the services will be proposed on the IEP. All students with disabilities must be considered for ESY, but not all students with disabilities qualify for ESY.