Extended School Year Services for Handicapped Children: Leadership Issues and Actions

Abstract

This article addresses issues that leaders should consider when determining an exceptional child’s need for extended school year services. An examination of the legal issues that emerged as a result of Pennsylvania’s extended school year court cases is presented, and a broader range of educational issues that were not considered in the litigation is discussed. The authors take the position that decisions to implement extended school experiences for exceptional children should be based on educational determinants exceeding those presented in Armstrong vs. Kline and the more recent court cases. In addition, specific recommendations are made regarding policy development for extended school year programs serving exceptional children.