Randi Levine, a policy coordinator at the nonprofit Advocates for Children, often counsels the parents of New York City public school students with disabilities who are trying to get the services their child requires from the Department of Education. She recalls a student whose parents fought to keep her school-year services going throughout the summer, demonstrating that she risked a considerable learning loss over the break without the assistance.
"We showed the skills that she loses overnight, over weekends, over school holidays, the amount of repetition that she needs, and how quickly she forgets or loses those skills," Levine says.
The "summer slide" impacts students in different ways. Science and math losses are widespread, and slips in literacy affect students to varying degrees. But students with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to regression; without consistent services, disabled students often face the prospect of more severe losses in the summer than their peers. According to advocates for the parents of these public school students, securing services from the DOE can be a struggle during the summer months.
An IEP lays out the specific needs of the student, measurable goals, the services that are crucial to accomplishing those goals, and whether the services should last for 12 months or only through the 10-month school year. The student's school district is required to supply these services. If the district cannot do so, and the parents find other approved service providers, the district must pay for those services.
According to state statistics, 178,933 school-age students with disabilities enrolled in New York City public schools in the 2013-2014 year, 13.9 percent of the total student enrollment. Statewide, 16.6 percent of students have IEPs, one of the five highest rates in the nation.</div>
