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Volume 13

May 2023

ADR Insights is a monthly newsletter, brought to you by South County SELPA's (Special Education Local Plan Area) ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) team, full of special education information. This month we're talking about the extended school year (ESY). Keep reading to learn more and hear about upcoming events and SELPA highlights.

What is ESY?

Extended school year (ESY) services are special education services and related services that are part of a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP). ESY takes place outside of the regular school year, often over summer break. During this time, eligible students continue to work toward their IEP goal(s) and maintain the skills and knowledge critical to their continued progress.

Who qualifies for ESY?

Not all students with an IEP qualify for ESY services. Students with a disability who show significant signs of regression during school breaks paired with and an inability to recoup knowledge and skills qualify for ESY services. Regression refers to a decline in knowledge or skills that can happen because of a break in school. Recoupment is the amount of time it takes a student to return to their prior level of knowledge/functioning. The majority of students experience at least a bit of regression, especially over summer break. However, a student with a disability who requires ESY will experience regression without the ability to recoup the loss in a short time frame (generally 2-3 weeks). A student might also be eligible for ESY because of an emerging skill that would otherwise be lost due to a break in instruction. Ultimately, it is up to the IEP team to determine if a student is eligible for ESY services.

What does that look like in the IEP?

The IEP team will discuss ESY eligibility annually during the IEP meeting. If the IEP team determines that the student is eligible for ESY (through the gathering of data), they will identify the area(s) of need based on existing goals and determine the services and supports necessary to address the goals during ESY. The services during ESY may not match the services during the school year if regression and recoupment is not an issue in that area.

Learn more about ESY.

Connect the Dots in Each Section of the IEP

The IEP is a process and each part is connected. Assessment results inform the IEP team of the student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). The PLAAFP is then used to develop appropriate and ambitious goals based on the unique needs of the student. These goals assist the IEP team in developing supplementary aids, services, and others supports necessary to meet the goals. A student's present level information should lead into goal creation, which should then relate to supplementary aids and services. Without a clear connection between each section of the IEP, you may be denying a student a free appropriate public education. Always ensure you are connecting the dots when writing IEPs.

Add Specific and Necessary Accommodations

Make sure you include clear accommodations necessary for the student's success. Long lists of broad accommodations leave room for interpretation and often lead to inconsistencies in implementation (e.g. flexible seating may mean use of a wobble chair/cushions, a standing desk, a yoga ball, use of floor pillows, and much more). Additionally, some accommodations can be counteractive to a student's overall success (e.g. extended time on a test for a student who struggles to initiate a task). This is why it is important to individualize accommodations and be specific for each student.

Write Skill-Based, Measurable Goals

While it is tempting to write a goal stating a student will not engage in a behavior, focus your goal on the replacement skill(s). The reason behind this is a teacher can't teach a student to not engage in a behavior (e.g. physical aggression, throwing items, etc.). Once the team determines why a behavior is occurring (e.g. frustration, fear task avoidance, etc.) for the student, develop a goal to teach the replacement skill and/or strategy to appropriately express their "why." The goal must be broken down into parts (e.g. self-identify the "why," teaching the skill/strategy, learn to use at the correct time). Focusing on the skill/strategy allows for a goal that can be measured and will equip the student with a lifetime tool they can utilize. Keep in mind though that teaching replacement skills/strategies takes time for a student to achieve. This is a great deal to achieve in one year and sometimes a change in teacher, setting, and/or classmates may mean a few steps back before moving forward again.

May 13 — Involved Exceptional Parents (IEP) Day

An Informative conference and resource fair for parents and caregivers of children with special needs and/or disabilities, educators, and service providers. Learn more here.

May 15 — Grupo de Apoyo en Español

Support group, for families with children with autism, meeting Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. The meetings will be held in Spanish only. Visit the website for location and to sign up.

May 22 — Sensory Story Time at National City Library

An inclusive story time for children on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 11 a.m. See a full list of National City Library events here.

May 24 — Coronado Unified School District Special Education Family Resource Fair

This free event for Coronado USD families, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., will have informative presentations and vendor tables with resources for families of students with IEPs (specifically 6th grade to adult transition students, but all are welcome). Check out the flyer for more information.

June 13 — Parent ADR Office Hours

Bring your question(s) to our team and join us virtually from 10 to 11 a.m. using the Zoom meeting ID: 837 9802 7038.

July 14 — All-Inclusive Day of Play and Resource Fair

At this free family event, children of all abilities will enjoy themed activity stations including a wheelchair awareness course, an under-the-sea sensory tent, and more! Visit the Special Needs Foundation of San Diego website for more information.

May 17 — Proximity, Redirection, Ongoing Monitoring, Prompt, and Teaching (P.R.O.M.P.T.) Training

Join the Positive Environment Network of Trainers team for informative training that will provide practitioners with a blueprint for consistently addressing problem behaviors and preserving relationships from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Register for the event here.

May 30 — Trivia with CAPTAIN

Join California Autism Professional Training and Information Network in a fun, informative, and interactive evening as we explore research-based strategies for classroom management through an interactive quiz game from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Register here.

June 7 — ADR Staff Office Hours

Join the South County SELPA ADR team and learn about the ADR process, tips, and strategies to support during conflict resolution and so much more! Join us from 3 to 4 p.m. on Zoom using meeting ID: 851 9574 9399.  

Keys to Successful IEPs (For South County SELPA Employees Only)

This on-demand course is designed to assist you with learning the basics (and beyond) of:

• Using SEIS
• Writing legally defensible IEPs
• Preparing for a successful meeting
• Designing effective Transition Plans

Email dilynn@sdcoe.net for registration code and register here.

If you have any questions or comments on the ADR Insights Newsletter, please contact our team at scselpaadr@sdcoe.net.

Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at South County SELPA.