School(s):   All Schools
Grade(s):    PreK-8

Overview

The provisions of IDEA require schools to provide ESY services for those children with disabilities who require such services to ensure an appropriate educational program.  All children with disabilities who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be considered for ESY, but typically only those who will be severely impacted by an extended break in instruction should be enrolled.

All children "regress" - lose progress, forget, and revert to previous behavior - to some extent between school years and during school breaks.  When an IEP team considers a student with a disability eligible for summer services, they must first determine whether a child's regression would likely be substantial, and whether the child would require greater than usual time to "recoup" -to get back to the level the child had achieved before a break in service.  In nearly all cases, projections of summer regression-recoupment are to be made based upon data gathered during school breaks.  

Decisions about ESY programs are to be made on an individual basis, taking into consideration the unique needs of the child.  These are situations where the nature of the student's disability and other factors would be considered in the ESY eligibility process.  
Extended School Year services are available only to students with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria for ESY.  It is not a "one size fits all" program.  ESY is individually designed by the IEP team to prevent substantial regression in those critical skill areas that are likely to be impacted by an extended summer recess.  Critical life skills may include but are not limited to: self-help, social skills, emotional support, physical mobility, communication, assistive technology, academics and vocational skills.

Staffing

The Lincoln Public Schools employs and retains highly qualified teachers, paraprofessionals,  and related service providers who meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) standards.  Because ESY services are determined on an individualized basis, the staffing fluctuates from summer to summer and from student to student.

Curriculum

The ESY instruction is based on the individual student's IEP goals and while it may address academics, instruction may also focus on self-help, social skills, emotional support, physical mobility, communication, assistive technology, academics, and vocational skills.
 
Services

The range of services varies widely depending on a student's individualized needs.  The type and frequency of service are decided at the Team meeting.  Parents and special education teams collaborate to recommend programs. The hours of programming vary depending upon the news of the student.