The Extended School Year is not guaranteed to every child. Nor is it guaranteed each year regardless of whether your child has had it in the past. Finally, this service is not designated for certain type of disabilities or learning challenges – anyone who qualifies to have an IEP may be eligible for ESY. You will find that the burden is on you, the parent, to obtain ESY. To qualify, it must be demonstrated that your child will “regress” – lose skills, behavior, knowledge – over school breaks. And, you must demonstrate, in light of this regression, that your child will spend much of their classroom time recouping what has been lost rather than learning new material. Regression and recoupment are only two of the criteria considered when deciding that a child will benefit from ESY. Other factors such as interfering behaviors, emerging skills, breakthrough opportunities, and critical life skills must be considered as well. If you have been through this when your child was in elementary or middle school, you are already aware of how challenging it can be to document regression even when you are working with one or two teachers. High school brings with it an even steeper challenge of working with as many as seven different teachers! It is worth your time to know your school district’s specific ESY policies as well as studying the ESY case law in your state. While most school personnel are well-meaning, they are usually not the best source of information. Do your own research and educate your child’s IEP team if need be. Wright’s Law is a good place to start as you research details and case law. What does the Extended School Year look like for a high school student? First, let’s be clear about what ESY is not.

• ESY is not a continuation of the school year.
• ESY is not a program to help your child advance their skills.
• ESY is not limited to summer break.