Extended School Year (ESY) Services: What Parents Should Know
This essential K-12 resource explains Extended School Year services, which are special education and related services provided outside the regular school year at no cost to families when needed for meaningful progress. You’ll learn that ESY is not summer school or remedial help, but rather specialized support designed to prevent significant regression of critical skills that would take a long time to recover. The guide clarifies who qualifies for ESY (students at risk of substantial skill loss during breaks with slow recoupment), explains how “significant regression” is measured through data and observations, and describes what ESY services might look like (individualized hours of instruction or therapy in various settings). It covers the decision-making timeline (typically discussed during annual IEP reviews in winter/spring), emphasizes that decisions must be data-based rather than diagnosis-based, and includes parent reflection questions about skill loss patterns. Perfect for parents who want to understand whether their child might benefit from ESY services and how to advocate for appropriate summer support through the IEP process.
