Fairfax Town School District

Special Education Extended School Year Policy

 

Warned:         December 12, 2003

Adopted:        December 22, 2003

Policy

It is the policy of the district to provide for the needs of special education eligible children within the regular school year.  However, there may be exceptional cases where extended school year services may be required in order to provide an appropriate special education program.

To extend the school year, the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting participants must establish the following:

1. The student is eligible for special education services as determined by the Evaluation and Planning Team.

    

2. A summer break without appropriate special education services is likely to cause the student severe regression, defined as an overall standstill in educational achievement for the year, which would result in irreparable loss of educational progress.

    

3. The loss of skills combined with limited recoupment ability will significantly increase the likelihood of the student failing to achieve independent living skills.

    

When IEP meeting participants convene to consider an extended year for a student, the Local Education Agency’s special education administrator shall be a member of that group.  A written summary of the decision, including the justification, will be included in the student’s educational file and shall be forwarded to the Special Education Administrator. At this IEP meeting, parents will receive a copy of their procedural rights, including the right to challenge an IEP meeting decision not to provide an extended year program.

Each student’s IEP must state what specific additional services are needed in the extended year program in order for that child to receive the benefits of a free appropriate public education, as defined under federal and state regulations.

Parents of handicapped students not receiving extended services, as determined through the IEP process, who wish to have assistance in securing the services of a private tutor, paid for by parents, may be assisted by school personnel. The special services staff may help parents by coordinating the use of materials and by providing lists of persons interested in tutoring.