Accommodations for English learners with IEPs

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

English learners with IEPs need accommodations for two separate reasons: the disability and the stage of English learning. Write each support so it names which need it serves, along with what, when, how much and who. Common ones are bilingual glossaries, visuals with key words, extra wait time and directions in the home language. State test rules for each differ.

An English learner with an IEP qualifies for two sets of supports. Language supports come from the student's English learner status. Disability supports come from the IEP. The two overlap, but they are not the same, and an IEP that mixes them up makes it hard to tell whether the student is struggling because of the disability or because the English is still new.

The 20 accommodations below are written the way they should read in the IEP. Each says which need it serves, whether it is an accommodation or a modification, and how it affects grading and testing. For the basics of any accommodation, start with the pillar on IEP accommodations.

What the law asks the IEP team to consider

When a student has limited English proficiency, the IEP team must consider the student's language needs as they relate to the IEP. It is one of the special factors in IDEA.^[1] In practice, the team should include someone who knows second language development, such as the ESL or bilingual teacher, and should look at English proficiency scores next to the disability data.

Accommodations on state tests must come from the state's approved list.^[2] Most states keep a separate list of English learner accommodations, and a student who is both an English learner and has an IEP may be eligible for supports from both lists. The lists differ a lot from state to state. Some allow word-to-word dictionaries on math tests, some allow translated directions, and some allow neither. Check your state's accessibility manual for each test.

Language need or disability need

Ask one question before writing each accommodation: would this student need it if they were fluent in English?

Yes: it is a disability support. It belongs in the IEP, and it will stay after the student exits English learner status.
No: it is a language support. It can go in the IEP, but it should fade as English grows, and the team should say so.
Both: write it once and note both reasons. A student with a language disorder who is also learning English often needs both.

The English learner with IEP glossary entry covers the terms. ASHA's guidance on multilingual service delivery explains why a speech or language evaluation must separate a language difference from a disorder.^[4]

20 accommodations for English learners with IEPs

Directions and instruction

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Need	Type	Effect on grading and testing
1. Directions for tests and major assignments are read aloud in English and shown in writing, in all core classes.	Both	Accommodation	None
2. Directions are given in Spanish by a bilingual staff member on tests and assignments over 1 page, in content classes.	Language	Accommodation	None; translated directions on state tests depend on the state list
3. The teacher checks understanding of multi-step directions by asking the student to repeat the first step, before independent work.	Both	Accommodation	None
4. Key vocabulary for each unit is given with a picture and a home language translation, 2 days before the unit starts, by the ESL teacher.	Language	Accommodation	None
5. The teacher allows 10 seconds of wait time after a question directed at the student, in whole-class discussion.	Both	Accommodation	None

Reading and materials

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Need	Type	Effect on grading and testing
6. Use of a word-to-word bilingual glossary with no definitions on classwork and tests in math, science and social studies.	Language	Accommodation	None; allowed on some state tests, not others
7. Text-to-speech in English for science and social studies readings and tests.	Disability	Accommodation	None in content areas; may not be allowed on reading tests
8. Content texts at the student's reading level that cover the same standards, provided by the content teacher with the ESL teacher, each unit.	Both	Accommodation	None when the same standards are graded
9. Graphic organizers with sentence frames for note-taking during content reading.	Both	Accommodation	None
10. Home language versions of content texts when available, for preview before the English lesson.	Language	Accommodation	None

Responding and writing

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Need	Type	Effect on grading and testing
11. Sentence frames and a word bank for written responses in content classes.	Both	Accommodation	None when the content, not English form, is graded
12. The student may answer content questions orally to the teacher instead of in writing, for up to 2 test items per test.	Disability	Accommodation	None
13. Content tests are graded for content knowledge, with no points taken off for English grammar or spelling.	Language	Accommodation	None in content classes; English class still grades conventions
14. The student may draft written work in the home language and then revise in English, in English language arts.	Language	Accommodation	None on drafts; final graded in English
15. Speech-to-text in English for written assignments over 1 paragraph.	Disability	Accommodation	None; check state rules for writing tests

Testing and setting

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Need	Type	Effect on grading and testing
16. Time and a half on classroom tests and quizzes in all core classes.	Both	Accommodation	None; state tests follow the state manual
17. Tests in a small-group setting of 6 or fewer students, with the ESL or special education teacher.	Both	Accommodation	None
18. Seating near a peer who shares the home language and agreed to help with directions, in content classes.	Language	Accommodation	None; not used during tests
19. Fewer answer choices (3 instead of 4) on multiple-choice tests.	Disability	Modification	Changes the test; note per district grading policy
20. Grade-level standards replaced with prerequisite standards in science, graded on an alternate rubric.	Disability	Modification	Changes what is graded; affects credit and transcript per district policy

Items 19 and 20 are the only modifications. A language need on its own should almost never lead to a modification. If the student cannot show content knowledge yet, the fix is a language support such as the glossary or oral responses, not a lower standard. The page on accommodations vs modifications explains the deciding test.

What good instruction looks like alongside these

Accommodations give access, but the student also needs teaching in academic English. The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide for English learners recommends teaching academic vocabulary in depth across several days and building content and language together.^[3] Items 4, 9 and 11 above follow that pattern. Used together, they let a student learn the science while also learning the words for it.

A worked example

Luis is a fictional 5th grader. He arrived from Honduras in 3rd grade. His English proficiency test puts him at level 2 of 6 in reading and level 3 in speaking. His IEP is for a specific learning disability in reading, based on weak decoding in both Spanish and English.

His October science unit test had 20 items. With directions in English only and no glossary, he scored 9 of 20. In November the team added items 2, 6 and 7. On the next unit test of the same length he scored 15 of 20. His decoding scores in English did not change in that time, which is expected: the accommodations removed a barrier to showing science knowledge, and the reading goal still targets decoding.

The team marked items 2 and 6 as language supports to review each year against his proficiency scores. Item 7 is a disability support and will stay. Luis's reading goal is drawn from the IEP goals for English learners, and the case manager checks it in the goal checker before the meeting.

Mistakes to avoid

Weak: "ELL accommodations as needed." Better: name each one, as in the tables above.
Weak: listing a bilingual dictionary with definitions for a state test without checking the state list. Better: check the state accessibility manual first, every year.
Weak: grading English grammar in a science test. Better: grade the science and give language feedback separately.
Weak: keeping language supports after the student exits English learner status with no review. Better: review each language support at the annual meeting.

For testing in general, see testing accommodations for students with IEPs. For writing supports in more detail, the list of IEP accommodations is grouped by need area.

Frequently asked questions

Can an English learner get both EL and IEP accommodations on state tests?

In most states, yes. A student who is both an English learner and has an IEP may use supports from both of the state's lists, as long as each is documented. The allowed supports differ by state and by test, so check the state accessibility manual.

Should language supports be written in the IEP?

They can be, and listing them helps every teacher see the full picture. Mark which supports are for language and which are for the disability, so the team can fade the language supports as English grows.

Who should be at the IEP meeting for an English learner?

Include the ESL or bilingual teacher along with the usual team, and an interpreter for the parents if they want one. The ESL teacher can explain which difficulties fit normal second language learning.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.160: Participation in assessments, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
Multilingual Service Delivery in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA

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.