Before and after: an accommodated assignment

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

An accommodated assignment keeps the same learning target and grading standard as the original but changes how the task is presented, how the student responds, where it is done or how long it takes. Start from the original, list the student's IEP accommodations, change only what they call for, and check that the target and rubric are unchanged. The template and example below show each step.

The quickest way to see what an accommodation is, and what it is not, is to put an assignment next to its accommodated version. This page gives a fill-in template you can print and a completed example for a 5th grade science task, with notes on what reviewers and parents look for in each section.

For the rules behind the changes, the pillar on IEP accommodations covers choosing and writing them, and accommodations vs modifications gives the deciding test.

The fill-in template

Copy this into a document or print the page. One template per assignment per student.

Section	Fill in
1. Assignment and class	Title, subject, grade, due date
2. Learning target	The standard or objective, copied word for word from your plan
3. Original task	What every student does: format, length, materials, time
4. How it is graded	Rubric or answer key, and the points that measure the target
5. Student's relevant IEP accommodations	Copy only those that apply to this task, word for word
6. Barrier	What in the original task blocks this student from showing the target
7. Changes made	Each change, tied to one accommodation in section 5
8. Target check	Is the learning target in section 2 unchanged? Yes or no
9. Grading check	Is the rubric in section 4 applied the same way? Yes or no
10. Category of each change	Presentation, response, setting or timing
11. Delivered by	Who sets up and provides each change

If section 8 or 9 is "no," the change is a modification, not an accommodation. That is allowed only if the IEP lists it, and it may change how the grade is reported. Stop and check with the case manager.

Completed example: before

The student, school and numbers are fictional. Ava is in 5th grade. Her IEP lists a specific learning disability in reading and written expression.

Section	Original
1. Assignment and class	"States of Matter Lab Report," 5th grade science, due Friday
2. Learning target	Students explain how heating and cooling change the state of water, using evidence from the investigation
3. Original task	Read a 2-page lab handout (about 650 words, grade 5 text). Complete the investigation with a partner. Write a 1-page report by hand with a hypothesis, procedure, data table and a 5-sentence conclusion. 2 class periods of 45 minutes.
4. How it is graded	20-point rubric: hypothesis 2, data table 4, conclusion uses evidence 10, conventions 4

Completed example: after

Section	Accommodated version
5. IEP accommodations	(a) Text of 1 page or more is provided in audio or read aloud. (b) Speech-to-text for written responses over 3 sentences. (c) Graphic organizer for multi-part writing. (d) 1.5 times the standard time on assignments completed in class.
6. Barrier	Ava decodes grade 5 text slowly and handwriting a full page takes her most of a period. The barrier is reading and writing speed, not science understanding.
7. Changes made	The lab handout is shared as text-to-speech audio (a). The conclusion is dictated with speech-to-text (b). A one-page organizer with boxes for hypothesis, procedure, data and conclusion replaces the blank page (c). She has 3 periods instead of 2, finishing the report in the resource room (d).
8. Target check	Yes. She still explains how heating and cooling change the state of water with evidence.
9. Grading check	Yes. Same 20-point rubric. Conventions are scored on her edited dictated text, as the rubric requires.
10. Category	Audio: presentation. Speech-to-text and organizer: response. Extra period: timing.
11. Delivered by	Science teacher posts the audio file and organizer by Monday. Resource teacher supervises the third period on Thursday.

What did not change

The investigation, the data table, the conclusion's length and the rubric are the same as for every other student. Ava writes the same 5-sentence conclusion, by voice instead of by hand. That is why every change stays an accommodation.

A version that would be a modification

Suppose the teacher had removed the conclusion and graded Ava only on the data table. The learning target ("explain... using evidence") would no longer be measured, and the grade would mean something different. That change is a modification. It might be right for a different student whose IEP calls for it, but it is not what Ava's IEP lists.

Section by section: what reviewers and parents look for

Sections 1 to 4, the original. Reviewers want to see that the starting point is the real grade-level task, not one already simplified. Parents often ask, "Is my child doing the same work as the class?" Keeping the original next to the adapted version answers that.

Section 5, the accommodations. Copy them word for word. A reviewer checks that every change ties back to something the team agreed to. Changes that are not in the IEP are well meant, but they make the IEP and the classroom drift apart.

Section 6, the barrier. This is the reasoning. One plain sentence is enough. If you cannot name the barrier, the change may not be needed.

Section 7, the changes. Each change should be specific enough that a substitute could set it up. "Support with writing" fails that test. "Speech-to-text for the conclusion on the classroom tablet" passes.

Sections 8 and 9, the checks. These are the sections that matter most to grading. Parents of older students also care because modifications can affect course credit or diploma type in some states. The grading students with IEPs guide explains how districts report each.

Sections 10 and 11, category and owner. Naming the category helps the team see patterns across assignments. Naming the owner is what makes the change happen on Monday.

A second, shorter example: a math quiz

	Before	After
Target	Add fractions with unlike denominators	Same
Task	15 problems on one crowded page, 20 minutes	Same 15 problems, 5 per page with space to work, 30 minutes
Response	Write answers by hand	Same
Grading	1 point each, 15 points	Same
Change category		Presentation (layout) and timing

The problems and scoring are identical. Spacing and time are the only changes, both from the student's IEP. For more math examples, see the IEP accommodations list.

Printing and saving the template

Print this page or copy the template table into your planning document; nothing is behind a sign-up. Fill out one for the first major assignment of each unit, then reuse the sections that do not change. After 3 or 4, most teachers can adapt a task in a few minutes without the form.

Keep completed templates with the student's work samples. At the annual review they show exactly how accommodations were used, which is often more useful than a checklist. To log use across many tasks, the accommodation tracking sheet is quicker.

The IEP must list the program modifications and supports the student needs.^[1] The IRIS Center's module on instructional and testing accommodations has more practice cases.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

What is an example of an accommodated assignment?

A lab report where the student listens to the handout as audio, dictates the conclusion with speech-to-text and gets one extra class period, while doing the same investigation and being graded on the same rubric as the class.

Is a shorter assignment an accommodation or a modification?

It depends on what is cut. Fewer items that practice the same skill can be an accommodation. Removing skills or parts of the learning target is a modification, which must be listed in the IEP.

Do I need to adapt every assignment?

Apply the accommodations in the IEP to every task they cover. Many become routine, such as audio text or extra time. A written before and after is most useful for major assignments and when you are new to a student.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.