Accommodations and Modifications

Making classroom instruction work for all students.

The challenge is to see this as an opportunity to raise aspirations for all students by creating a unified education system that works forall students .

In decreasing the separation between the worlds of special and general education, there are reallytwo sets of related questions:

1. How can special education programs help students to meet the challenging education standards, curriculum, and assessmentsthat are now being developed in the general education system?

2. How can the general public education system be tailoredand individualized to better serve its diverse learners-whether or not those students have disabilities?

• Special and general educators have much to offer one another in finding answers to these questions.

√ IDEA regulations expect all teachers to usedifferent learning strategies to accommodate the individual needs of all students, whether disabled or not.

√ The IEP team is required to identify what accommodationsand modifications will be applied when instructing the student in all learning situations.

√ The specific, detailed times and environments when accommodations are necessary for the student will be leftto teacher discretion.

• The methodology of instruction and content to be learnedwill be left to the regular teacher with the expectations thatthe accommodations and modifications will be incorporatedinto the instructional outcomes for each student.

Good teachers know how to reach/teach most all students. Someteachers will struggle with how they must accommodate and modify instruction. Ideally teachers will assist each other to understand how to provide the support for the disabled studentand use these strategies for all at-risk learners.

The changes will come slow. This is to be expected.

Accommodations

-are supports or services provided to help students progress in the general education curriculum and demonstrate their learning. These do not mean big changes in the instructional level, content, or standards. Rather, support is provided so that students have an equal opportunity to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned.

ACCOMMODATIONS - Provisions

made in how a student accesses/demonstrates learning

They do not substantially change instructional level or content

Provides student an equal access to learning

Provides student equal opportunity to demonstrate what is known

Based on individual strengths and needs

May vary in intensity and degree

Accommodations are:

Techniques utilized to help students access curriculum

Strategies that validly demonstrate what students have learned

Methods used that alter the academic setting or environment so students can easily access information

Accommodations are also:

Approaches to information that level the laying field for students with disabilities Extended time Large print Braille Signed instruction

Other Accommodation Definitions - (Eshilian, & Hibbard, ‘98)

Appropriate arrangements that allow for access to same information, activities, opportunities, ex: books on tape, computer writing programs, tape recorders, calculator, checklists, dictation of answers, etc.

Accommodations do NOT:

Change the information to be learned

Change the amount of information that is to be learned…modifications do this!

MODIFICATIONS - Changes in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate

Change in the instructional level or benchmark

Change in the number of key concepts mastered within a benchmark or unit of study

Changes in content

Modifications

-change the content and performance expectations for what a student should learn. For example, a student may work at a different level ( for example, at a 4th grade level instead of a 6th grade level in reading) or study fewer concepts or skills.

Don’t be fooled by“Adaptations” for this refers to:

Accommodations and Modifications Changes made in instructional and assessment

practices to facilitate student success. For example:

Size √ Participation Time √ Level of Support Input √ Alternate Goals Output √ Substitute Curriculum Difficulty

Meeting the CaliforniaFramework Standards

√ Academic Standards are to be addressed for

all special education and at risk students.

√ The California Frameworks are guides for schools to

use to identify what all students should learn.

√ These Frameworks will address the delivery of

content-rich curriculum to special needs students and

at-risk learners.

Steps in the IEP / Standards Process

Individualized Goals:

1) Which standards closely relate to the educational concerns / needs identified?

2) How will the student meet the standard?• Regular

• Modified

• Regular with Accommodations

• Expanded

What are the primarygrade level expectations?

• How will the student meet these content standards? (Not IEP Goals)

• Regular

• Modified

• Regular with Accommodations

• Expanded

Regular

The student can meet the age appropriate standard in the same way as general education students with no changes.

Regular with Accommodations

Provisions are made in “how” a student accesses information or demonstrates the standard. The student can meet all of the components of the regular standard if necessary accommodations are provided.

Examples: oral tests, assignments read orally or taped assignment shortened yet reflects all of the required components; access to a word processor for written assignments/tests, etc.

Modified Standard

Changes the expectation of “what” the student is to learn.

Examples: change in the number of key concepts learned within a standard or benchmark, change in the instructional level, limit in the number of concepts expected to master within a unit of study, etc.

Expanded StandardThe learning is aligned with the standard, but

performance of the standard varies significantly from “traditional” performance.

Examples: functional reading using picture symbols or single words for grocery lists, menus, schedules, vs. reading books / stories; writing functional lists, letters using single words / pictures vs. writing paragraphs or essays; developing mobility skills vs. traditional geography, etc.

Any accommodations must be linked to the IEP and necessary(not just helpful) based on the student’s disability.

Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement has categorized accommodations in the STAR program as standard or nonstandard.

Standard- No accommodation usedStandard- Flexible settingStandard- Large print testStandard- Revised test directionsStandard- Out of level testing (one grade level above/below only)

Nonstandard- Braille testNonstandard- Flexible schedulingNonstandard- Revised test formatNonstandard- Use of aids and/or aides to interpret (or respond) to test itemsNonstandard- Out of level testing (more than one grade level above/below)

Classroom/District Wide and STAR Testing Requirements