Extended School Year, also called ESY, is special education and related services that are provided to a student with a disability, beyond the normal school year of the department, in accordance with the student’s IEP, and at no cost to the parents. ESY is approved by the child’s IEP team each year. The Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) has created ESY guidelines, found below, to help families and schools understand the rules and offer guidance around ESY. The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) created 2 infographics based on the guidelines, that you can download below. In 2021, at the virtual SPIN Conference, the HIDOE created a short video to help families understand the new guidelines.
Here are a few takeaways to remember:
- Your IEP team must consider ALL 5 factors of ESY eligibility, not only regression and recoupment.
- If there is no current data on how your child learns after a school break, they can still be found eligible based on the nature and severity of your child’s disability.
- ESY IEP goals are different than school year IEP goals. Typically, you choose 1 or 2 goals to work on like a new skill that is emerging or self-care skills.
If you have concerns about ESY and your child, talk to your child’s teacher and IEP team. If you need additional support or have questions about ESY, call us at SPIN and we’ll get you connected to someone who can help.
Want to see more on this page? Email us at SPIN@doh.hawaii.gov and let us know what kind of resources would be helpful to you.
