Extended School Year (ESY) is defined as special education and related services that are provided to a child with a disability beyond the normal school year of the public agency in accordance with the child’s IEP and at no cost to the parents of the child (ISBE 2005).
Eligibility for ESY services is determined by the student’s IEP team members, which includes parents. Teams will consider the severity of the student’s needs, evidence of past loss of skills during extended breaks from school, and patterns of recoupment of skills when returning from breaks.