The purpose of offering an extended school year is simply to assist students in the critical generalization or maintenance of identified skills, in order to avoid severe or permanent loss of previously learned skills or behavior control.  While school districts are encouraged to assist families in utilizing community resources to meet their particular needs, they must not offer ESY when it is inappropriate to do so.  The following list is intended to help schools understand what are inappropriate ESY considerations:

It is not mandated 12 month services for all handicapped students.

It is not required for the convenience of the school or parents and, therefore, cannot serve as a day care or respite care service.

It is not required in order to maximize educational opportunities for any handicapped student.

It is not necessary to continue instruction on all of the previous year’s IEP goals during the ESY period; rather, the focus should be on those specific goals which would be severely impacted by an extended vacation period.

It is not compulsory.  Participation in the program is discretionary with the parents, who may choose to refuse the ESY service.  There may be personal and family concerns that take precedence over ESY, including the family’s desire to have the student at home over summer break.

It is not a summer recreation program for handicapped students.

It is not to be considered in order to help handicapped students advance in relation to their peers.

It is not for those students who exhibit random regression or regression which is solely related to medical problems resulting in degeneration, or transitional life situations such as divorce or death of a family member.

It is not subject to the same least restrictive environment considerations as during the regular school year.  First, the same LRE options are not available, and second, for some students, the appropriate LRE may be at home with other members of the family, and not being involved in an extended school year program.