Accommodations and Modifications

Accommodations vs Modifications

• Inequality - Unequal Access to Opportunities

• Equality - Evenly Distributed Tools and Assistance

• Equity - Custom Tools That Identify and Address Inequality (Accommodations and Modifications)

• Justice - Fixing the System to Offer Equal Access to Both Tools and Opportunities (Universal Design for Learning)

Scheduled Activities

• Task One: Group Discussion

  Definition of accommodation or modification

• Task Two: Case Scenario Activity

  Accommodation or Modification?

• Task Three: Classroom Example Activity

  Write an accommodation

Legal Justification:

Accommodate, Modify, and Support

I.D.E.A. 1997 Reauthorization specifies (300.342(b)(3)) that the public agency shall ensure... each teacher and provider is informed of his or her specific responsibilities related to implementing the child’s IEP and the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child in accordance with the IEP.

Group-work: Task 1

• In your content group, discuss and create a definition for:

  Accommodation

  Modification

• Write the definition on the next slide

Open Ended

What is an Accommodation?

Open Ended

What is a Modification?

Accommodations

• Change in materials or procedures that enables a student to meaningfully access instruction and assessments. Assessment accommodations do not change the construct that is being measured.

• An accommodation is a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability and DO NOT reduce learning expectations.

Accommodation Examples

• Additional time for assignments

• Provision of notes or outlines

• Use of a study carrel

• Space for movement or breaks

• Varied reinforcement procedures

• Work-in-progress check

• Lab and math sheets with highlighted instructions

Modifications

• A change in materials or procedures that enables a student to access instruction and assessment. Assessment modifications change the construct that is being measured.

• Making an assignment easier so the student is not doing the same level of work as other students is an example of a modification.

Modification Examples

• Allow outlining, instead of writing for an essay or major project

• Use of alternative books or materials on the topic being studied

• Word bank of choices for answers to test questions

• Film or video supplements in place of reading text

• Reworded questions in simpler language

• Projects instead of written reports

• Highlighting important words or phrases in reading assignments

Task Two

Identify whether the given scenario is a modification or an accommodation

Poll

Susie has an intellectual disability. Susie’s 4th grade teacher gives weekly spelling tests. Susie received a failing grade for the past 4 spelling tests. The teacher has decided to reduce the number of spelling words on Susie’s list. She is only responsible for the single syllable words on the spelling list each week.

• Accommodation

• Modification

Ways to accommodate Susie’s Needs

• Focus on spelling lists with similar spelling patterns 

• Sort the words that fit the spelling patterns, and sort out the words that don’t fit.

• What other ideas do you have?

Poll

Marco is a high school student who does not receive special education or Section 504 services. In his Algebra I class, Marco often makes mistakes when multiplying or dividing large numbers with decimals. When Marco uses a calculator, he arrives at the correct answer.

• Accommodation

• Modification

Ways to Address Marco’s Needs

• Graph paper

• Class notes with an example question available for student

• Procedures numbered explaining the step by step process

• Peer tutor

• Teacher monitors student and checks work with teacher after every 2-4 problems.

• What other ideas do you have?

Open Ended

Rajiv is a fourth grade student who receives special education services for disabilities in reading and mathematics. He has difficulty in all areas of reading such as decoding words, blends, and frequently used sight words.

Ways to Accommodate Bobby’s Needs

• Bobby can identify main idea and details within a paragraph provided while the class will identify the main idea and details in the whole story. 

• Bobby can answer question cards: identify the main idea and supporting details

• What other ideas do you have?

Poll

Sonja's special education teacher is worried that Sonja will be frustrated with the work her general education teacher assigns, so each night she takes a copy of the work assigned for the next day and finds ways to reduce the amount and quality of the assignment. An example of this effort is the assigned spelling words for the week; she finds a list of 1st grade words for Sonja’s 5th grade teacher.

• Accommodation

• Modification

Ways to Accommodate Sonja’s Needs

• Focus on lesson objective: Will student benefit by completing work lower than grade level standards.

• The modification is cutting down the learning expectation for the student. To accommodate for this student, break tasks into smaller more manageable parts, frequently check for understanding.

• Since the objective is quality and not quantity, help the student master objectives of the lesson without feeling frustrated. 

Poll

Malcolm’s scores on in-class assignments and assessments improve when he is provided with large print material. The teacher provides Malcolm materials with larger print because she has observed that his comprehension also greatly improves.

• Modification

• Accommodation

Other Ways to Address Malcolm’s Needs

• Magnifying glass

• iPad

• Document camera to enlarge book on computer screen 

• Check with the textbook publisher for larger print copy

Poll

Jacob is a ninth grade student who receives special education services under the category of Other Health Impairment. When reading, Jacob continuously blinks and moves his head, skips lines, omits or transposes words, and loses his place often, even when using a place marker. He sits at the teacher’s computer so he can follow along during PowerPoint presentations.

• Modification

• Accommodation

Other Ways to Address Jacob’s Needs

• Colored Overlays

• Colored Glasses

• Picture window template to reduce text visible to the student

• Print less text on a page

Task Three

Discuss an appropriate accommodation for each given classroom situation using classroom example cards provided.

Open Ended

Rajiv is a fourth grade student who receives special education services for disabilities in reading and mathematics. He has difficulty in all areas of reading such as decoding words, blends, and frequently used sight words.

Rajiv’s Classroom Accommodations

• Additional support personnel

• Books provided on student’s instructional level

• Peer tutoring/one-on-one support from teacher

• Book on CD

• Flashcards of frequently used sight words

• High school student can record reading for Rajiv

Open Ended

Eliza is a fifth grade student who does not receive special education or Section 504 services. She struggles with mathematics computations, but her performance improves when she uses a calculator.

Eliza’s Classroom Accommodations

• Hundreds , addition, or multiplication chart

• Example of math problem showing a sequence of steps for the student to follow

• Graph paper (or notebook paper turned sideways)

• Computer program to review math facts and increase automaticity with math recall (chart student’s progress and reward improvement).

Open Ended

Jesse is able to recall basic mathematics facts; however, when solving more complex mathematics problems with algorithms, he is unable to remember the steps and often loses his place. Jesse has attended after-school tutoring all year, but scores on his classroom assignments and tests indicate that his performance has not improved.

Jesse’s Classroom Accommodations

• Look at test results in the specific area he is struggling.

• Provide step-by-step example of a math problem

• Student may use open notes

• Teacher notes

• Peer tutoring

• Check problem and answer with teacher after completion of two problems

• Use colored pencils (different color for each step)

Open Ended

Victor is an eighth grade student who receives special education services to address his needs related to a physical disability. Victor does not struggle with mathematics reasoning and computation; however, he is only able to write with a pencil for short amounts of time because his muscles become fatigued easily and begin to cramp.

Victor’s Classroom Accommodations

• Shortened assignments

• Paraprofessional scribes for student

• Peer tutor/mentor

• Calculator to calculate problem

• Multiple choice answer sheet to select answer 

Open Ended

Steven is an eleventh grade student who exhibits anger frequently. He talks back to teachers and often misses class, causing him to be behind in his work. Steven’s favorite class (when he attends) is History class with Mr. Michaels.

Steven’s Classroom Accommodations

• Establish a mentorship time for the student to meet with Mr. Michaels each week (teacher helper 15 min/week)

• Reward attendance with time with Mr. Michaels

• Have a plan for student to help him appropriately deal with anger (step by step procedures for student: breathe, count)

• Arrange an event with school counselor for:

  -After school activity

  -Volunteer project benefitting community

  -Basketball during lunch for 1 on 1 tournament 

Open Ended

Tonya is a seventh grade student who loves science. She is a student with high functioning Asperger’s Syndrome. Her dad is concerned that Tonya fails to fill out her daily agenda. She performs poorly on in-class assessments, because she doesn’t study for the tests. Tonya has six assignments missing from Mr. Jones’ class.

Tonya’s Classroom Accommodations

• Teacher initiates E-mail communication with parents regarding upcoming tests

• Staggered approach to help student fill out agenda starting with more restrictive to less restrictive intervention

• Colored folders and notebooks for each subject area

• Address organizational goals with student(locker location, transition time)

Since Crain's Creek Presentations Apparently Need Puns

We'll finish up with a quick knowledge check

Multiple Choice

Kids who receive modifications are NOT expected to learn the same material as their classmates.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Reducing assignments so a student only completes the easiest problems.

• Accommodations
• Modifications

Multiple Choice

A teacher issues extra credit questions to compensate for incorrect answers. What is she performing?

• An accommodation

• A modification

Multiple Select

Select all modifications below:

• be excused from particular projects

• dictate answers to a scribe who writes or types

• complete fewer or different homework problems than peers

• write shorter papers

Multiple Choice

____________ directly alter the curriculum and lower learning expectations.

• Accommodations

• Modifications

Multiple Choice

An example of an accommodation is when a student is completing a History project for a unit of study, but has been provided with different tasks and different expectations for assessment. True or False?

• True

• False

Multiple Select

Select all accommodations below:

• get class notes from another student

• take a test in a small group setting

• work with fewer items per page or line

• create alternate projects or assignments for the student

Multiple Choice

Allowing a student to respond to a quiz orally is an example of a(n):

• accommodation

• modification

Multiple Choice

Easier tests that omit some curriculum expectations is an example of a(n):

• accommodation

• modification

Recap

• An accommodation is a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability and DO NOT reduce learning expectations.

• A modification is making an assignment easier so the student is not doing the same level of work as other students.

• It is a federal requirement to provide accommodations and modifications listed on a student's 504/IEP.