Para una traducción al español, haga clic aquí

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.

Visit the ADR Website

ESY and the IEP

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 two to three 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.

Upcoming Events — Please Join Us!

May 13 — Involved Exceptional Parents Day

A 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 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.

May 25 — Art and Awards Recognition Event

The South County SELPA Community Advisory Committee is proud to announce the 15th Annual Art and Awards Recognition event. The event will feature artwork — including drawings, paintings, poetry, essays, and photography — from students in our member districts. Join us from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the South County Regional Education Center.

English Registration / Spanish Registration

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 Resource Foundation of San Diego website for more information.

SELPA Highlights

Chula Vista Community Collaborative Partners Presentation

If you haven't heard of Chula Vista Community Collaborative, it's an organization that works with partner organizations in Chula Vista and the South Bay to share information and resources that strengthen families and communities. Earlier this month the ADR team had the pleasure of sharing information about the SELPA and the ADR options available to parents in our districts.

Help Us Plan Next Year's Parent Workshops

The South County SELPA ADR team is committed to providing parents and guardians with the information and knowledge they need to be active participants in their student's special education process. As part of this commitment, we provide parent/guardian trainings throughout the school year. We need your help to plan for our 2023-24 parent trainings. Please take the time to let us know what topics and times work best for you and your family by completing the survey below.

Complete the Survey

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.