Extended School Year (ESY) is a special education service that provides services to students beyond the standard 180-day school year in order to maintain a student’s learned skills or behavior. ESY is not intended to be used to teach new skills or behaviors.*

Thinking about ESY services? Consider the following:

• Will your student regress significantly in a critical life skill related to his/her IEP goals without ESY?



• Is your student at a crucial stage in mastering a critical life skill, when a lapse in services would substantially harm your child’s chances of maintaining that skill?



• Is the severity of your student’s disability such that he/she will not receive a reasonable benefit from his/her educational program during the regular school year without ESY services?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you should discuss ESY with your IEP team.

How is the decision made whether a student requires ESY services?
The IEP team decides whether or not the student requires ESY services. Without a recommendation from the IEP team, ESY services will not be provided. The decision is based upon three criteria: regression, recoupment and critical learning.

• Regression – All students, disabled and non-disabled alike, experience regression during breaks in instruction. For purposes of ESY determination, regression is defined a significant decline in the performance of a skill or acquired knowledge as specified in the annual IEP goals, that occurs during a break in instruction.
• Recoupment – A student’s ability to recoup a skill or relearn the acquired knowledge to approximately the same level that existed prior to the break in instruction.
• Critical Learning Stage – A student is in a critical stage of developing a skill that has great potential for increasing his/her self-sufficiency in the areas of academics, related services or social skills / behaviors.

Reference Chart for Average Recoupment
Source: Peoria Unified School District #11

Length of Break	Average Recoup Time
11-12 week summer break	20-30 instructional days
2 week winter break	3-4 instructional days

Is there a charge for ESY?
No, ESY services are free for students whose IEP team determines they need those services. Special transportation services are provided free if the IEP team determines transportation is needed.

Where is ESY Provided?
The IEP team will place the child in the least restrictive environment (LRE) that is appropriate for the child. If the district does not offer programs for non-disabled students during ESY, the district does not have to create a program for non-disabled students in order to meet LRE requirements.

Other Items to Consider:

• ESY is not for all students with a disability.



• ESY is not required for the convenience of the school or parent and therefore cannot serve as a day care or respite care service.



• ESY is not required solely when a child fails to achieve IEP goals during the school year.



• ESY is not necessary to continue instruction on all of the previous year’s IEP goals during the ESY period. Rather, it is time to focus on the critical skills where regression has been documented.



• ESY is not intended to help students with disabilities to advance in relation to their peers.



• ESY is not intended to provide education beyond a student’s IEP goals.

*Under the guidelines of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 300.309) and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 392-172A-02020), all school districts must provide ESY services if a student requires such services in order to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).