In primary and secondary education, "accommodations are changes that are made in how the student accesses information and demonstrates performance" (Rule 6A-6.06411(1)(a), Florida Administrative Code). According to Beech (2010), "Accommodations make it possible for students to work around the effect of their disabilities. Accommodations are not the same as instructional interventions for academics or behavior. They help students access information and show what they know and are able to do" (p. 3-4).
The provision of accommodations is governed by several federal and state laws:
Accommodations commonly found in school and work settings vary for each individual and each setting. Accommodations can be grouped into the following categories:
New! A comprehensive list of common accommodations can be found in Accommodations: Assisting Students with Disabilities (pdf). A sample list of accommodations is as follows:
Accommodations for the Statewide Standardized Assessments
All Florida students participate in the state's assessment and accountability system. Most students with disabilities will participate in the general statewide assessment program. Students who have an individual educational plan (IEP) can be authorized to receive accommodations that have been identified on the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan and must be based on current instructional accommodations and accessible instructional materials used regularly by the student in the classroom. The Florida Standards Alternate Assessment (FSAA) is designed for students who cannot participate in the general statewide assessment program using accommodations.
Some students may need unique accommodations that are not approved in one of the five categories described above. If so, the district must submit a request to the Commissioner of Education using the FCAT Unique Accommodations Request Form accompanied by a copy of the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan containing proper documentation of the accommodation requested. Both the district assessment coordinator and the exceptional student education director must sign the request form (Beech, 2005b, pp.20-21).
Accommodations Not Allowed on Standardized Assessments
Accommodations that change the reliability or validity of the standardized assessments are not permitted. According to the Technical Assistance Paper: Statewide Assessment for Students with Disabilities, "If a student with a disability is provided with accommodations in the classroom that are not allowed as accommodations for statewide standardized assessments, the school district must inform the parent in writing and provide the parent with information regarding the impact on the student’s ability to meet expected performance levels. A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive classroom instructional accommodations that would not be available or permitted on a statewide standardized assessment and acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the implications of such instructional accommodations."
Accommodations for Florida's Statewide Student Assessments (pdf)
This guide provides information on the participation of students with disabilities in the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test, allowable accommodations, and a decision-making process for determining accommodations.
Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities - What Parents Need to Know (2003) (pdf)
This guide explains educational accommodations and modifications to parents including who is eligible, working with teachers, and monitoring results.
Acomodos y modificaciones: Lo que los padres tienen que saber (revisido en 2003) (pdf)
This is the Spanish language version of the accommodations and modifications guide for parents.
Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities in Career Education and Adult General Education (pdf)
This four-page brochure identified accommodations and modifications that students in secondary and postsecondary career education and adult general education programs may need.
Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities in Career Education and Adult General Education (pdf)
This 95-page guide contains information that will assist school district personnel when making decisions about the use of accommodations and modifications by students with disabilities in instructional situations including the following:
Agreement for the Transfer of Assistive Technology (MOA)
This Memorandum of Agreement describes the arrangements between several state agencies to ensure that assistive technology will be available to children and youth with disabilities as they progress from home to school to post-school life.
Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services. (2018). Accommodations: Assisting students with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/ 7690/urlt/0070069-accomm-educator.pdf
Florida Department of Education. (2015). Technical assistance paper: Statewide assessment for students with disabilities. Retrieved from https://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb /Get/Document-7301/dps-2014-208.pdf