Determining Extended School Year Eligibility: From Esoteric to Explicit Criteria

Abstract

Litigation in the 1970s and early 1980s encouraged the provision of school services in excess of 180 days for certain students who demonstrated summer regression and poor recoupment. Criteria for these services have varied widely and have sometimes been difficult to surmise. The literature on extended school year is sparse, providing administrators with few empirical guidelines from which to develop policy on the eligibility and provision of such services. By contrast, the literature on maintenance provides useful strategies for extended school year assessment and planning. In this article we review existing extended school year literature, provide a case analysis, and make recommendations for developing explicit criteria for eligibility.