To fulfill its responsibility to ensure that each student with a disability receives a free and appropriate public education, Special School District may provide education services beyond the normal school term to ensure that the students benefit from special education and related services.
All students tend to regress, that is, to lose some previously acquired skills when they do not have the opportunity to practice or use them. Regression is viewed as significant, however, when the time required for a student to regain lost skills to the approximate level of previous accomplishment is excessive. The goal of preventing significant skill regression and excessive time for recoupment of lost skills is the basis for providing extended school year programming.
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will consider a student with a disability’s need for Extended School Year (ESY) service as an integral part of the IEP.
Documentation of the goals and objectives to be addressed during the extended school year session should be included in the student’s annual IEP along with the type, amount, frequency, duration and environment/location of ESY services. An extension of the normal school term will be provided to any student with a disability who is likely to experience a marked degree of regression in critical skills and excessive recoupment time during the subsequent school year in the
absence of extended programming. Instructional services provided during the extended school year will relate to those areas of the student’s IEP in which the student is predicted to demonstrate significant regression or excessive recoupment time. The IEP Committee may identify such areas through:
- Data obtained throughout the year regarding a student’s educational program.
- Historical data regarding a student which indicates a high likelihood of significant regression and excessive recoupment time if an extended break occurs. Factors to consider would include the nature and severity of the student’s disability, availability of alternative resources and educational structure in the home.
While the regression/recoupment rate is recognized as a standard in determining the need for ESY, the IEP team would consider other factors, such as:
- Critical stage of development.
- A student’s progress, behavioral and physical/motor.
- The need for continuous programming to maintain a student’s level of self-sufficiency and independence.
- Other unique or unusual circumstances of an individual student.