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Some New York City IEPs include services in July and August, not just during the school year. These are called extended school year services, or ESY, and families often call them 12-month services. Summer is also when sessions are easiest to lose track of: different staff, different buildings and shorter days. This guide explains what ESY is, how to check whether your child had it, and what to do if summer sessions did not happen.
What ESY is
The NYC Public Schools glossary describes extended school year services as special education programs and services provided during July and August. They may be recommended for students with disabilities who need special education over the summer to prevent substantial regression, meaning losing skills over the break that take a long time to win back.
According to the same glossary, a child with an ESY recommendation may either receive the same program and services in July and August as in September through June, or receive less intense services over the summer. If ESY is recommended, the IEP specifies the program and services for July and August.
How to tell if your child should have had summer services
Look at the IEP that was in effect for the summer. Find any mention of a 12-month program, extended school year, or services for July and August. If it is there, copy what it lists for the summer separately from the school-year services, because they can differ. If you cannot find it, ask the school in writing whether the IEP includes ESY. Our guide on how to read the IEP shows where services are listed.
If your child's IEP does not include ESY and you saw a lot of regression after a summer, that is something to raise at the next IEP meeting. See preparing for an IEP meeting.
Why summer sessions go missing
- The summer site is a different building, and related services were not set up there.
- A provider from the school year was not available over the summer, and no one replaced them.
- Transportation for the summer did not start on time.
- The family was told the child was in a summer program, but the IEP services were not part of it.
What to write down
For each summer week, note what the IEP listed, what was scheduled, and what you could confirm. Save any summer program letters, bus notices and emails. Mark anything you cannot confirm as unconfirmed rather than missed. The free missed-services log works for summer weeks the same way it does for the school year, and how to document missed services covers what counts as a good record.
Asking for the records
After the summer, ask the school or the summer program for the session records for July and August. Compare them with your notes. If they do not match, see when the school's log does not match yours. The records request guide includes a template.
Can missed summer services be made up?
Missed ESY services are services the IEP required, so the same options apply as for missed school-year services. That can include compensatory services awarded through a hearing or a settlement. The result depends on the facts and the records, and no one can promise an outcome. If you would like to talk it through, you can ask for a free callback. There is no cost to you, now or later.
Official source: NYC DOE: special education glossary (extended school year).
Last reviewed: October 2026
