Determining an Individual Student's Need for Extended School Year Services. Technical Assistance Paper.

This paper provides assistance to Florida school districts regarding the development of their extended school year (ESY) policies and procedures for students with disabilities as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act and Florida statutes. Following a brief section providing background information, 27 questions and answers are grouped into the following categories: (1) general (e.g., eligibility for ESY services, district responsibility for students placed in private schools, determination of a need for ESY services, and related services during an ESY period); (2) service delivery models (e.g., the "least restrictive environment" requirement of IDEA and varieties of delivery models); (3) ESY and summer school (e.g., relationship of ESY and summer school and special protections for students with disabilities attending summer school); (4) individualized education program (IEP) or family support plan (FSP) requirements (timing of consideration of ESY services, description of ESY services on the IEP or FSP, and reports to parents); and (5) funding (how ESY services are funded, no cost to parents for educational services, and parent assessment for "recreational" components). An appendix provides an analysis of legal issues including general principles established by the Office of Special Education Programs, key points developed in case law, and application in five Florida cases. (DB)