NCEO Brief Number 33 - January 2024 - The Basics of Accommodations and Modifications

Oct 15, 2026

NCEO Brief Number 33 (January 2024) clarifies the distinction between accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities, including students who are English learners with disabilities. It addresses confusion among educators and how misuse affects IEP wording, implementation, and the use of terms like “modified curriculum.” The brief explains federal guidance under IDEA and ESSA, describes how accommodations can be used in instruction and standardized assessments, while modifications should be limited to instruction due to lowered expectations and invalid assessment implications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Accommodations and Modifications: Core Distinctions

Clarifying the Purpose in Instruction and Assessment

Confusion Around “Modified Curriculum” and IEP Implementation

Federal Guidance and Legal Context

IDEA and ESSA Requirements

Access to Grade-Level Curriculum and Progress

Relationships Between Accommodations and Modifications

Figure 1 Overview

Accommodations

Definition and Purpose

When Accommodations May Differ Between Classroom and Assessment

Examples of Common Accommodations

Modifications

Definition and Purpose

Instructional Caution and Assessment Prohibition

Examples of Instructional Modifications

Testing Adaptations: AERA/APA/NCME Standards

NCEO Brief Number 33 • January 2024 The Basics of Accommodationsand Modifications There continues to be confusion among some educators and staff in State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) about what is an accommodation and what is a modification. This confusion about accommodations and modifications happens in how these words are used in both instruction and assessment. The confusion is further compounded by the use of the term “modified curriculum”when describing the academic content taught to some students with disabilities. The misunderstandings of these terms affect how Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are written and then implemented. The purpose of this Brief is to clarify what accommodations and modifications are for both instruction and assessment for students with disabilities. We also disentangle the use of the term “alternate or modified curriculum” from the meaning of modification used for instruction and assessment. Accommodations and modifications can also be appropriate for English learners; however, this Brief is focused on students with disabilities, including English learners with disabilities. Accommodations and Modifications in Instruction and Assessment For students with disabilities, including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) are the guiding federal education legislation about accommodationsand modifications. IDEA indicates that IEP teams need to identify individual accommodations necessary for students with disabilities on state and districtwide assessments. Additionally, among other supports, IEPs must list specific accommodations and modifications that will be provided for students. ESSA requires that appropriate accommodations be provided during state assessments to students with disabilities identified under IDEA, as well as to students who are provided accommodations under an act other than IDEA. Neither of these laws provide a definition for accommodations or modifications, nor do they address modified curriculum. Rather, they emphasize that all students are tobe provided access to and make progress in the grade-level general education curriculum even if the student is taking an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) (Sabia et al., 2020a) . Figure 1 shows that accommodations may be used for both instruction and standardized assessments, but modifications can only be used for instruction. Figure 1. Relationships Among Accommodationsand Modifications for Instruction and Assessment Accommodations The Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) Accessibility Manual defines accommodationsas changes in procedures or materials that: (a) ensure a student has equitable access to instructional and assessment content, and (b) support valid assessment results for those students who require them (Lazarus et al., 2021) . Accommodations do not reduce or change learning expectations. Generally, the same accommodations provided for instruction are provided for assessments. However, sometimes an accommodation provided for instruction may not be appropriate for an assessment. In some cases, this is because the accommodation available on the assessment is different from what is used in the classroom (e.g., an electronic highlighter is embedded in the online assessment but a highlighting marker is used in the classroom) . There are a variety of accommodations that are used for both instruction and assessment. In regard to state assessments, all states have guidance on what accommodations are allowed. Other standardized assessments should also have their own accommodations policies (e.g., standardized vendor assessments) . Instructional accommodations are determined by IEP teams as per IDEA. A few examples of typical accommodations include: • American Sign Language or other sign system • Bra

FAQs

What is the purpose of accommodations versus modifications for students with disabilities?

Accommodations support equitable access and help produce valid assessment results without reducing learning expectations. Modifications lower state-required learning expectations and should be used with caution in instruction.

How do IDEA and ESSA treat accommodations and modifications?

IDEA requires IEP teams to identify and list specific accommodations and modifications for students on assessments. ESSA requires appropriate accommodations during state assessments but neither law provides formal definitions or addresses “modified curriculum.”

Can modifications be used during standardized assessments?

No. Modifications change what is measured, which can lead to invalid assessment scores. The brief states modifications should not be used during standardized assessments.

Oct 15, 2026

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