A key provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act applies to extended school-year placements for children who require 12-month programs, a federal appeals court has ruled.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that the requirement that school districts place special-needs children in the “least-restrictive environment” applies to extended-year placements (ESYs) under the act, 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(5)(A).