Glastonbury Public Schools Special Education and Pupil Services
Extended School Year Services
The Q&A below covers the most frequently asked questions regarding our Extended School Year Services. For more information, please contact your child's special education teacher or building administrator.
Q. What are Extended School Year Services (ESY)?
ESY services are special education and related services provided beyond the normal school year as described on the student's Individuation Education Plan (IEP). They are provided and at no cost to parents.
Q: When is ESY needed?
A school district is required to provide ESY services when the child requires such services to receive a free and appropriate public education. It is generally the exception, not the rule, for students receiving special education services to need ESY services.
Q: When is ESY determined?
ESY is officially discussed and determined at each student's annual IEP meeting by the entire team, including the parents. For students whose IEP annual review meeting occurs early in the school year, the issue of ESY eligibility can be revisited later in the school year.
Q: How is ESY eligibility determined?
ESY is determined by examining a number of regression/recoupment and non-regression factors. The factors that should be considered for each student are:
The student is likely to lose critical skills or fail to recover these skills within a reasonable time as compared to typical students. (regression/recoupment)
The nature or severity of the student’s disability. (non-regression)
The student’s progress in the areas of learning crucial to attaining self-sufficiency and independence from caretakers. (non-regression)
The student’s stereotypic, ritualistic, aggressive or self-injurious interfering behaviors prevent the student from receiving some educational benefit from his/her program during the school year. (non-regression)
Other special circumstances identified by the IEP team (non-regression) such as: the ability of the student to interact with other non-disabled students; the areas of the student’s curriculum that need continuous attention; the student’s vocational needs; and/or the availability of alternative resources.
Q: How are students' needs met?
Students’ special education ESY needs are met in a variety of programs coordinated by certified special education teachers and related service staff. All programs are designed to meet the student’s educational needs in the least restrictive environment:
For eligible students, ESY programs may provide a variety of services to address IEP objectives, including academic skills, related services, communication, functional living skills, socialization skills and vocational training. Since each child’s needs vary, the IEP team will carefully consider what services are necessary for the child to benefit from his/her academic year program.
Transportation for students to participate in ESY programs is provided at no cost to the parents
Q: What are the timelines?
The length of the program (both number of days and number of hours per day) and the level of service are determined by each student's IEP Team on an individual basis.