Definition: Extended School Year (ESY) is a way to keep progress going for children who would regress without school over a long summer break. A provision of
IDEA, ESY may involve actual school classes; speech, physical or occupational therapy; payment for private speech, physical or occupational therapy; programs out-of-district; or other arrangements specified in the
IEP. The general standard applied when determining a student's need for ESY is whether that student will regress significantly without services, or will require a longer than usual time to recoup lost skills when school starts again in the fall. Despite what your district may tell you, though, regression and recoupment are not the only criteria for ESY eligibility. Other possible reasons for providing ESY services may be a lack of progress toward goals, services missed during the year (as when a therapist is out for a long period without replacement), or severe disability.
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