Extended School Year Newsletter: Communicating ESY Eligibility and Services

Extended school year is one of the most consistently under-communicated special education services. Many families of students who would benefit from ESY do not know it exists. Others know it exists but do not understand how eligibility is determined and assume their child does not qualify. A newsletter that proactively explains ESY before the spring IEP season changes that.

What Extended School Year Is

ESY is a provision under IDEA that requires schools to provide special education services during summer break for students who demonstrate a pattern of significant skill regression during extended breaks and who require a longer recoupment period than typical peers. It is not a summer camp or an academic enrichment program. It is a continuation of special education services designed specifically to prevent significant loss of skills that the student has worked hard to acquire.

Who May Qualify

ESY eligibility is determined by the IEP team based on data. The relevant questions are: does the student show a meaningful pattern of regression when school is not in session, and does it take longer than typical for the student to recoup skills when school resumes? Data sources include teacher observations, standardized assessments given before and after breaks, and parent reports of what families observe at home during school vacations.

Your newsletter should tell families that if they have observed significant skill loss during school breaks in the past, they should bring that observation to the IEP team and ask about ESY eligibility.

What ESY Typically Looks Like

Describe your program's ESY structure: when it runs, how many weeks, what hours, what services are included, where it is held, and who provides the services. The specificity matters because families making summer childcare decisions need this information to plan.

The Decision Timeline

Tell families when ESY decisions are typically made and what to do if they want ESY to be considered for their child. Most programs make ESY determinations at spring IEP meetings. Families who want the question raised should request it before that meeting or at the IEP meeting itself. Daystage lets schools send this proactive communication in February or March so families have the information before the decision window closes.