What are Accommodations?

Accommodations are practices and procedures that provide equitable access to grade-level curriculum during instruction and assessment for all students. This includes general education students with special needs, eligible ELLs who need linguistic accommodations, as well as students with disabilities who receive special education services. Accommodations do not reduce learning expectations. Therefore, their use should not replace the teaching of subject-specific knowledge and skills as outlined in the state curriculum for each grade. Certain accommodations may be needed more often at some grades than others depending on academic content and rigor.

Although some accommodations may be appropriate for instructional use, they may not be appropriate or allowed on a standardized assessment.

-Texas Education Agency

Accommodations…

• are provided to students with special needs

based on an ARD committee decision• are a provision made in how a student

accesses or demonstrates learning• do not change instructional level or content• provide equal access to learning• provide equal opportunity to demonstrate what

is known• are individualized (not cookie cutter)

Accommodations…

• based on individual strengths and needs • may vary in intensity and degree• are intended to reduce or even eliminate the

effects of a student’s disability or limitations• does not reduce learning expectations• should be used in instruction, classroom

assessments, and district/state assessments