High school accommodations and college readiness

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

High school IEP accommodations should look like the supports a student can still get after graduation: extended time, a reduced-distraction room, text-to-speech, notes and a word processor. Write each with what, when, how much and who. Then teach the student to request it, because colleges use the ADA and Section 504, not the IEP, and the student must ask.

A high school IEP has two jobs with accommodations. It has to give the student access to grade-level courses now. It also has to prepare the student for a place where no case manager hands out a summary sheet and nobody checks whether the support happened.

The 20 accommodations below are written the way they should read in the IEP, with an accommodation or modification check and the effect on grades, tests and the transcript. They are illustrations; the team picks from present levels. For the basics of choosing and writing any accommodation, start with the pillar on IEP accommodations.

What changes in high school

Three things shift after 8th grade.

The transcript is permanent. A modification can affect course credit, class rank or the diploma type, depending on state and district rules. An accommodation should not.
Tests carry more weight. End-of-course exams, college entrance tests and AP exams each have their own accommodation rules, separate from the IEP.
The student becomes the advocate. IDEA rights transfer to the student at the age of majority in most states, and the IEP must say the student was told about it at least one year before.^[1]

Transition planning starts by age 16 at the latest, and the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals and the services to reach them.^[1] Accommodations belong in that plan. Ask of each one: will the student be able to get this, or a version of it, in college or at work? See transition planning in the IEP for the full process.

20 high school accommodations written for the IEP

Testing and timing

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
1. Time and a half on unit tests, quizzes and in-class essays in all core courses. The teacher arranges the extra time in class or in the testing center within 2 school days.	Accommodation	None on the grade; check state and College Board rules for outside tests
2. Tests of 30 minutes or more are taken in a small-group room with 8 or fewer students, arranged by the case manager.	Accommodation	None
3. The student may take a test across 2 sessions on consecutive days when it is longer than 60 minutes, with the teacher holding the test between sessions.	Accommodation	None; state tests follow the state manual
4. Final exams are scheduled no more than 2 per day for the student, arranged by the counselor.	Accommodation	None
5. Text-to-speech for tests in every course except tests of reading decoding, using the district's approved reader.	Accommodation	None in content courses; may not be allowed on reading tests in your state

Reading and class materials

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
6. Digital or audio versions of assigned novels and textbooks, provided by the case manager within the first week of each unit.	Accommodation	None
7. A copy of the teacher's slides or class notes posted to the course page by the end of each school day.	Accommodation	None
8. A syllabus with all due dates for the semester, given to the student in the first week of each course.	Accommodation	None
9. Vocabulary lists for each science and social studies unit, given 3 days before the unit starts.	Accommodation	None

Writing and work output

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
10. Use of a word processor with spell-check for all written work over 1 paragraph, including in-class essays.	Accommodation	None, unless spelling is the skill graded
11. Speech-to-text for first drafts of essays and research papers in English and social studies.	Accommodation	None; check state rules for writing tests
12. Long-term projects broken into 3 to 4 checkpoints with separate due dates, set by the teacher and logged in the student's planner.	Accommodation	None; the full project is still required
13. Up to 2 school days of extra time on major assignments, requested by the student before the due date, at most 4 times per semester per course.	Accommodation	None; late penalties do not apply when requested in time
14. Research papers graded on the same rubric with 3 required sources instead of 6.	Modification	Lowers the standard; may need a transcript note per district policy

Organization and self-advocacy

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
15. A 15-minute weekly check-in with the case manager to review grades, missing work and upcoming tests in the online gradebook.	Accommodation	None
16. The student delivers their own accommodation letter to each teacher in the first 2 weeks of each semester, with the case manager present for the first meeting.	Accommodation	None
17. Preferential seating near the point of instruction, chosen with the student, in all classes.	Accommodation	None
18. Permission to record lectures on a phone or laptop in all courses, for personal study only.	Accommodation	None

Course content

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
19. Use of a formula sheet on math and science tests that do not assess memorizing formulas, made by the student and approved by the teacher.	Accommodation	None when formulas are not the tested skill
20. Fewer test items covering only the priority standards, graded against an alternate rubric.	Modification	Changes what is graded; can affect course credit or diploma type

Items 14 and 20 are modifications. They reduce what the student must learn or produce. On a transcript, that may be noted, and some states tie modified courses to a different diploma. Explain that to the family before they agree. The side-by-side page on accommodations vs modifications covers the grading rules in more depth.

How college accommodations differ

There is no IEP in college. IDEA ends when the student graduates with a regular diploma or ages out. Colleges follow Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act instead.^[2] Public colleges fall under ADA Title II.^[3]

The federal transition guide lays out what changes for students moving from high school to college or work.^[4] The practical differences:

	High school (IDEA)	College (ADA and Section 504)
Who starts the process	The school finds and evaluates the student	The student must disclose and request
Documentation	The school evaluates at no cost	The student provides documentation the college accepts
What is provided	Accommodations, modifications, specially designed instruction	Accommodations only; no modified standards
Who tells instructors	The case manager	The student, usually with a letter from the disability office
Progress monitoring	IEP goals and reports	None
Tutoring and study skills	Can be in the IEP	Often only what is open to all students

Two things follow. First, modifications do not carry over, so a student who relies on them needs a plan to work toward the full standard or toward a program where that is not required. Second, documentation matters. Many colleges accept a recent evaluation report and the IEP or the summary of performance given at graduation. Policies differ by college, so the student should check the disability office's page in junior year.

A worked example: one junior, two years out

Maya is a fictional 11th grader with a specific learning disability in reading. In September her IEP listed 9 accommodations. Her case manager asked her to rate each on a simple log: used it, did not need it, or needed it but did not get it.

After 8 weeks, the log showed Maya used extended time on 11 of 12 tests and text-to-speech on all 12. She had not used preferential seating or the weekly check-in once in 6 weeks. She had needed audiobooks in history 3 times without getting them.

At the annual review the team kept the 3 supports she used, dropped 2 she did not need, and fixed the audiobook gap by moving the request to the start of each unit. Maya added a goal to deliver her own accommodation letter. By spring she had met with 5 of 6 teachers on her own. That is the skill her college disability office will expect.

Any of the free data sheets can hold a log like this. A simple yes or no per class period is enough.

Building the self-advocacy skills

An accommodation the student cannot explain will not survive the move to college. Pair the list with a goal. Useful targets:

The student names 3 accommodations and explains how each helps, in a mock meeting with the case manager.
The student emails a teacher to arrange extended time at least 2 days before a test, in 4 of 5 opportunities.
The student leads the accommodations section of their own IEP meeting.

The postsecondary education goals and self-advocacy goals have template wording. For the high school goal set as a whole, see high school IEP goals. Students with dyslexia have their own guide to high school IEP goals for dyslexia.

Outside tests

The SAT, ACT and AP exams each run their own accommodation approval process. An IEP helps, but approval is not automatic, and the request often has to go in months ahead. State end-of-course exams follow the state's accessibility manual. The page on testing accommodations covers how state and outside tests differ.

Rules on diplomas, transcripts and state tests vary by state. Check your state's manual and your district's grading policy before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

Do IEP accommodations transfer to college?

Not automatically. The IEP ends at graduation. The student must contact the college disability office, share documentation and request accommodations under the ADA and Section 504. The IEP and recent evaluations are often useful documentation.

Can a modified course still count for a regular diploma?

It depends on the state and district. Some states allow modified courses toward a regular diploma, and others tie them to an alternate diploma. Ask the team how each modification will appear on the transcript before agreeing to it.

When should high school students start requesting their own accommodations?

Start in 9th grade with a coached first meeting each semester, then fade adult support. By junior year the student should be arranging most accommodations alone, since that is what college will require.

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Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
29 U.S.C. §794: Nondiscrimination under Federal grants and programs (Section 504), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
28 CFR Part 35: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services, eCFR (National Archives)
A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities (August 2020), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

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.