Accommodations vs modifications: 30 side-by-side examples
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
An accommodation changes how a student learns or shows learning, while a modification changes what the student is expected to learn. To decide, ask one question: does the change lower or alter the standard the work measures? If no, it is an accommodation. If yes, it is a modification, and it can affect grades, test scores and the diploma path.
Both words describe changes a teacher makes for a student with an IEP. The difference is whether the target moves. With an accommodation, the student still aims at the same learning goal and is graded on it. With a modification, the goal itself is smaller, easier or different. Training materials for teachers draw the line the same way.[3]
A student who listens to a history chapter on text-to-speech still has to learn the history. That is an accommodation. A student who reads a shorter, simpler version of the chapter and answers fewer questions is learning less content. That is a modification.
The deciding test
Ask: does this change alter what the student is expected to know or do, or how the work is scored against the standard?
- If the answer is no, it is an accommodation. The student shows the same learning in a different way.
- If the answer is yes, it is a modification. The learning target is reduced, replaced or scored on a different scale.
Run the test on the skill being measured, not on the task. Reading a math test aloud is an accommodation, because the test measures math. Reading a reading comprehension test aloud removes the decoding part of reading, so on some tests it changes what is measured. That is why the same support can be treated differently in different subjects.
Accommodations vs modifications side by side
| Accommodation | Modification | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Changes how the student accesses content or shows learning | Changes what the student is expected to learn or how it is scored |
| Learning standard | Same as peers | Reduced, simplified or replaced |
| Typical types | Presentation, response, setting, timing | Fewer standards, easier text level, different rubric, alternate curriculum |
| Where in the IEP | Supplementary aids and services; testing accommodations section | Program modifications; sometimes the goals and service statement |
| Federal rule | 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) and (a)(6) | 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) |
| Who decides | The IEP team | The IEP team |
| Effect on grades | Graded on the same standard as peers | Grade reflects the modified standard; district policy sets how it is reported |
| Effect on state tests | Allowed if the state's manual permits it, and the score counts | A change that alters what the test measures may invalidate the score or require the alternate assessment |
| Effect on diploma | None by itself | Can affect diploma type in some states, especially with alternate achievement standards |
| Also in 504 plans | Yes, often | Rarely |
The IEP must list the supplementary aids and services and program modifications the student needs, and any individual accommodations needed on state and districtwide tests.[1] States must publish guidelines that name the test accommodations that do not invalidate a score, and IEP teams choose from those.[2]
30 examples by subject
Each row pairs an accommodation with a modification for the same need, so the difference is easy to see. Use them as starting points, not a menu.
| Subject or area | Accommodation (same standard) | Modification (changed standard) |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Text-to-speech for science readings | Science readings rewritten at a grade 3 level |
| Reading | Audiobook of the class novel alongside the print copy | A different, shorter novel with easier vocabulary |
| Reading | Extra time to finish the weekly reading quiz | Quiz cut from 10 questions to 5, with only literal questions |
| Reading | Questions read aloud on a social studies test | Reading passage replaced with a picture summary |
| Reading | Highlighted copy of key passages | Only the highlighted passages are assigned and tested |
| Writing | Speech-to-text for essays | Essay replaced with a 3-sentence response |
| Writing | Graphic organizer to plan a 5-paragraph essay | Essay requirement reduced to one paragraph |
| Writing | Spelling not scored on content-area tests | Writing rubric scored on a lower grade's standards |
| Writing | Keyboard instead of handwriting | Copying sentences instead of composing them |
| Writing | Word bank for vocabulary in a written response | Answers chosen from 2 options instead of written |
| Math | Calculator on multi-step word problems that test reasoning | Calculator on a test that measures computation |
| Math | Multiplication chart on fraction problems | Fractions unit replaced with whole-number work |
| Math | Fewer problems per page, same total assigned | Half the problems assigned, graded out of the smaller total |
| Math | Graph paper to line up digits | Only single-digit problems instead of multi-digit |
| Math | Formula sheet on a geometry test | Test limited to identifying shapes |
| Science | Lab steps given as a numbered checklist | Lab replaced with watching a video of it |
| Science | Lab partner records data while the student dictates | Student only labels a pre-made diagram |
| Science | Notes provided before the lecture | Fewer concepts on the unit test |
| Social studies | Map with labels enlarged | Map test limited to 5 states instead of 50 |
| Social studies | Oral answers on a short-answer test | True or false questions replacing short answers |
| Social studies | Extended time on the research project | Research project changed to a poster with pictures |
| Tests | Small-group setting | Alternate assessment on alternate standards |
| Tests | Breaks between sections | Test with fewer standards covered |
| Tests | Answers marked in the booklet | Answer choices cut from 4 to 2 |
| Homework | Homework due one day later | Homework cut to the first 5 items and graded out of 5 |
| Homework | Typed instead of handwritten homework | Homework replaced with a practice game |
| Behavior | Visual schedule and a check-in at transitions | Exempt from the class participation grade |
| Behavior | Break card during independent work | Shortened school day in the IEP |
| Physical education | Extra time to change for class | Graded on effort instead of the skills test |
| Language support | Directions repeated and given in writing | Grade-level vocabulary list replaced with a simpler list |
Look at the right column. Every item lowers or replaces what the student must show. That is the pattern to watch for when you write an IEP.
Three classroom scenarios
A 4th grader who cannot finish math tests
Maya knows her multiplication facts and can solve 2-step word problems when she has time. On timed unit tests she finishes about 60% of the items. Her teacher wants to cut the test from 20 problems to 10.
Answer: cutting the test and grading out of 10 is a modification, because Maya is no longer shown to have learned all the content. Extra time, or splitting the test across two sittings, is an accommodation. The team chooses time and a half and a 2-sitting option, and Maya is graded on all 20 problems.
An 8th grader with dyslexia in English class
Leo reads grade 8 text at about half the rate of his peers. He understands what he hears at grade level. The class reads a novel and takes comprehension quizzes.
Answer: an audiobook of the same novel is an accommodation for the comprehension quizzes, because they measure understanding of the story. For a reading fluency check, the audiobook would change what is measured, so it does not apply there. The team writes the accommodation for "class novels and content-area texts, not fluency or decoding assessments."
A 10th grader with a significant cognitive disability in biology
Ana is in general education biology with a paraprofessional. She works on identifying living and nonliving things and naming body parts, while the class studies cell structure.
Answer: Ana's curriculum is modified. She works on different, simpler content linked to the same topic. Her grade reflects her modified goals, and her team discusses what that means for her state's diploma options. She also has accommodations, such as picture supports and a scribe, which help her show what she knows of her modified content.
Grading, tests and the diploma
Grading. An accommodated student is graded on the same standard as peers. A modified student is graded on the modified standard. How that appears on a report card or transcript is a district and state policy decision. Ask for the written policy before the team agrees to a modification.
State tests. Each state lists which accommodations keep a score valid. Something allowed in class may not be allowed on the state test. For example, some states allow a human reader on reading passages only for students who meet narrow criteria. The page on testing accommodations covers the rules and how they differ.
Diploma path. Accommodations alone do not change a student's diploma. Heavy modification, and especially instruction on alternate achievement standards, can. Rules for diploma types and certificates are set by each state, not by IDEA. Teams should talk about this early, often by middle school, because course choices can close options later. The glossary entry on diploma options explains the common types.
When a student needs both
Many students have accommodations in every class and modifications in one or two. A student might use speech-to-text in all classes (an accommodation) and work on a modified math curriculum (a modification). Write each one where it belongs, and say which classes each applies to.
The order matters. Try accommodations first. Move to modifications only when the data show the student cannot reach the grade-level standard with access supports, even with good instruction. Once you modify, the student is learning less of the general curriculum, and that gap can grow each year.
Writing them so nobody confuses the two
- Put accommodations under the accommodations or supplementary aids heading, with when, how much and who.
- Put modifications under program modifications, and name the standard that changes and how grading works.
- Avoid "modified as needed." It is unclear which one you mean, and teachers will guess.
The pillar guide on IEP accommodations shows the full writing process. For ready-made wording, see the IEP accommodations list by need area and the IEP modifications examples. The glossary defines accommodation and modification in one line each.
Frequently asked questions
Is extended time an accommodation or a modification?
Extended time is an accommodation in almost every case, because the student answers the same questions and is graded the same way. It becomes a concern only when speed is the skill being measured, such as a timed fluency probe.
Is reducing the number of questions a modification?
It depends on the grading. Fewer problems per page with the same total assigned is an accommodation. Assigning fewer problems and grading the student out of the smaller total is a modification, because the student shows less of the content.
Can a 504 plan include modifications?
504 plans mostly list accommodations. A student whose curriculum needs to be modified usually needs specially designed instruction too, which points to an IEP. Some districts allow limited modifications in a 504 plan, so check local policy.
Does a modification mean my child cannot get a regular diploma?
Not always. Diploma rules are set by each state. A few modified assignments rarely matter, but a modified curriculum across core classes can. Ask the team how the state's diploma rules apply before agreeing to broad modifications.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Accommodation in the IEP glossary
- Modification in the IEP glossary
- Testing accommodations in the IEP glossary
- Diploma options in the IEP glossary
- Alternate achievement standards in the IEP glossary
Related guides
- IEP accommodations: how to choose, write and track them
- IEP accommodations list by need area
- IEP modifications examples: assignments, grading and curriculum
- Testing accommodations for students with IEPs
- Writing accommodations for the IEP: 20 examples, including dysgraphia
- Math accommodations for the IEP: 16 examples, including dyscalculia
- UDL vs accommodations
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.160: Participation in assessments, 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.