IEP Accommodations vs IEP Modification: From The Intentional IEP

 Article from:
support@theintentionaliep.com

"No matter what your student needs, it is important that the general education teachers and specials teachers are aware of any accommodations or modifications that need to take place for the student...This is the best way to set our students up for success!"

IEP Accommodations VS IEP Modifications

• Stephanie DeLussey
  
• May 1, 2020

 

IEP Accommodations VS. IEP Modification 

 

Accommodations vs modifications. They are two words that are frequently tossed around the world of special education, and sometimes used interchangeably. However, it is important that we differentiate between the two terms, because they mean two very different things!

Legally, we need to use the correct terminology on IEPs and other documents, so let’s take a look at the difference between these two types of services.

Accommodations

Classroom accommodations are things that are used in the classroom in order for a student with special needs to be able to access the general education curriculum. Accommodations do not change the content, vigor, standards, or grade level of the material that is being accessed. Accommodations are intended to be supports for students so they can understand the material being taught, and enable students with IEPs to remain in the general education classroom, learning the same things as their non-disabled peers.

Not sure what accommodations or modifications are?  Or what type may be appropriate?  Check out this brochure you can grab when you become a member of The Intentional IEP.

Examples of accommodations include, but are not limited to:

• Preferential seating for students with hearing or vision impairments, or students with ADHD in order for them to focus better
• Scheduled breaks for students with ADHD
• A word bank, an editing checklist, or sentence starters for writing for students with disabilities in language or writing.
• Chunking reading texts so the amount to be read isn’t so overwhelming- NOT reducing the amount of text to be read!
• Allowing the use of math manipulatives or number charts/lines, whenever computation isn’t the skill being assessed. For example, allowing a student to use counting bears to complete two-step word problems involving multiplication or division. A non-example of this would be allowing a student to use a multiplication chart on a multiplication assessment.
• Allowing the student to ask for selected sections of text to be read aloud.
• A scribing accommodation or speech-to-text for a student with a physical disability or vision impairment.

Check out this snippet from a live training in The Intentional IEP about clarifying accommodations and modifications.

If you’re looking for more specifics on IEP like general education collaboration, functional behavior assessments, and AAC  – you’re in the right place!  Click the image to check it out!

Modifications

Modifications change the content, vigor, standards, of grade level of the general education curriculum. The decision to make modifications to the general education curriculum is not a decision to be taken lightly. Choosing to modify the curriculum or assessments may be necessary for a student, but this also means that the student is not truly accessing the general education curriculum. Accommodations should be tried and exhausted before making the decision to modify.

Examples of modifications vary widely depending on the needs of the student and may include:

• Reducing the amount of material to be read
• Reducing the number of questions on an assessment, or reducing the number of answer choices on a multiple-choice test
• Changing written response answers to multiple choice or short answer
• Changing numbers in math. For example, having the student complete 2 by 1 digit multiplication problems when the rest of the class is doing 4 by 2 digit multiplication, or having the student add fractions with like denominators when the rest of the class is adding with unlike denominators.
• Assigning one paragraph when the other students are writing a multi-paragraph essay.
• Having the student read a summary of the text instead of the entire text that was assigned.
• Altering the curriculum so the standards are below the student’s grade level.

No matter what your student needs, it is important that the general education teachers and specials teachers are aware of any accommodations or modifications that need to take place for the student. Talk to them, and make sure that everyone is on the same page. This is the best way to set our students up for succe

 

The difference between accommodation and modifications is something we are familiar with, but often is very confusing for others.

When we are explaining these two terms to other educators and parents, we need to have an easy way that they can understand. A great way to do this is to give examples.

Accommodations change the HOW, while modifications change the WHAT.

Examples:

Accommodations - large print text, reteaching concepts, working in pairs or small groups, use of a calculator, extended time, and flexible seating.

Modifications - use of a different grading rubric, modifying the format of a test or activity, modifying the reading level, change of student expectations, and reduced complexity of an activity.

Before diving in to a IEP meeting, make sure that you take the time to explain to all present what the difference is between modifications and accommodations. https://www.theintentionaliep.com/iep-accommodations-vs.../

 

7 Strategies to Help Overwhelmed Students: Edutopia

 From: https://www.edutopia.org/article/supporting-overwhelmed-students?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Winter+25&utm_id=Winter25&utm_content=practitioner&fbclid=IwY2xjawH2YpZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUSYqDOPJaXFcq_h7i3kpvm8eQvJOJRLffGUmRT_ooxiEe921d2a9Z6Rfg_aem_WVELsY1dRO8sGrICiZkzGw

Quoted content from Edutopia:

Brain-Based Learning

7 Strategies to Help Overwhelmed Students 

Some students develop anxiety about assignments, but there are ways teachers can help them cope with these feelings.

By Lori Desautels

April 19, 2024

Drazen Zigic / iStock

“The three most important aspects of learning—attention, focus, and memory—are all controlled by our emotions, not cognition.” —Marc Brackett

When students are overwhelmed by cognitive tasks, their stress response systems will move into survival states (fight, flight, or shut down) where they are literally unable to access the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain where our executive functions live and can be activated.

These executive functions are a set of cognitive or mental tasks that allow us to problem-solve, make decisions, plan, prepare, emotionally regulate, hold strong attention, and access working memory. This region is activated when we are feeling emotionally safe and connected in our environment, but we also need to feel competent or capable in how our unique style of learning or academic performance is being seen, understood, and evaluated.

When assignments, projects, and academic tasks feel overwhelming, this can create anxiety, frustration, angry outbursts, or a shutdown in behavior where assignments are not even attempted alongside behaviors that we often label as apathetic, unmotivated, disrespectful, oppositional, or entitled.

Impact on Neurodivergent Learners

Many of the behavioral challenges we encounter in our classrooms are rooted in cognitive overload. This is especially true for our neurodivergent learners whose brain functioning is different. These differences show up in how we process information, pay attention, self-start, or organize. These are not deficits, but distinct differences in learning profiles. Many of our neurodivergent learners cannot learn well through traditional teaching practices. They need to move, share stories, use hands-on strategies, or use technology, and at times they require the direction, pacing, chunking of assignments, and transitions with a trusted adult.

Co-regulation through cognitive tasks is a supportive, affirming, and validating practice that can ease the dysregulation of assessments, writing assignments, and longer projects that may activate sensory overload, social anxiety, and academic burnout. Below are some ideas to integrate into our teaching practices mitigating the survival states that prohibit access to the prefrontal cortex where learning occurs.

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7 Ways to Support Students Through Co-regulation

1. Check in frequently and predictably. When we share a hand on the shoulder, a warm smile, quick questions such as “What do you need? How can we work through this together?” or even intentional proximity and a tone of voice that says, “I am here, and we will get through this together,” we are providing a classroom culture that validates collaboration, celebrates effort and differences, and shares our presence through a strength-based lens.

2. Highlight confusing or difficult assignments. This practice has been a game changer in my classroom teaching. I will distribute personal highlighters, and when students observe my personal highlighter and how I am reading through difficult sections of an assignment and focus on concepts that I do not understand well, they are more likely to pick up their highlighter and begin doing this with me. I also will sit beside students who need more support and suggestions as we scan different parts of the learning that might create a clearer path with color.

3. Chunk assignments. Chunking is taking small sections or steps of learning and only focusing on these segments. It might be an opening paragraph, the first two or three pages of a text, three vocabulary reads, or the first two steps of a long-division equation. We rework through these chunks until the students feel more comfortable to move on. It’s an empowering practice that encodes new learning with more ease.

4. Create summative assessments together. This is one of my favorite practices for deeper learning and student input or voice. At the end of a segment of learning, I will invite students to share their ideas for assessments. We have created a sign-up sheet for this practice because it has been popular in the past.

I have given prompts for this co-regulatory activity such as these: What do you think is important to remember from this chapter? Which concepts will you need to remember in the future? What would be a just way we could help each other with the steps we have learned? What types of prompts seem helpful? What was hard for you to remember? How could we create a fair assessment from what we have learned and need to remember?

5. Role-play “I am the administrator.” In this practice, I am the taker of thoughts or notes. This is a wonderful way to invite students to begin a writing assignment when they are staring at a blank sheet of paper. In this practice, I tell the students that they have all these brilliant ideas and thoughts in their head, and maybe we can work together to place these on paper or in our Chromebooks.

I begin with the writing as students tell me what they want to write about. I will type or write out their thoughts as they dictate to me. This lessens the fear and anxiety of staring at a blank Microsoft Word or Google document or sheet of paper. I remind them that I am only the recorder of their thoughts.

6. Map it out. Through a daily, weekly, or monthly timeline, the students and I can decide which parts of assignments and tasks we should be focusing upon. We can create this timeline with colors, symbols, and shapes as we check off the times of day or days of the week as we are nearing completion or completion.

7. Make it relatable. Most of us learn best when taught through ways that emphasize our unique interests. We can understand a concept if it is related to sports, video games, shopping, holidays, storytelling, movies, or our passions and hobbies. When we learn about our students’ interests and observe how they integrate the learning, we can incorporate those interests into what feels familiar and relatable to the students. I love this article that shares how math is taught in different cultures.

Connection drives nervous system development. When we provide the felt safety through co-regulation that our brains require in order to access the thinking and reasoning (executive function) areas of the brain, we are an active participant in our students’ learning.

 

Navigating the World of AI: A Visual

 From:

educatorstechnology.com

 

Quoted content:

"Since the explosion of generative AI, a whole new vocabulary is quickly becoming household language. As teachers and educators, we often find ourselves caught in the middle of this rapidly evolving tech landscape. Understanding terms like "Artificial Intelligence," "Generative AI," or "Prompt Engineering" isn't just for tech experts anymore, it's essential for all of us shaping the future of learning. In this visual, I’ve captured some of the key AI terms and acronyms I believe as educators and teachers should know. From "fine tuning" to "deep learning," this resource simplifies the jargon and helps you navigate the world of AI, hopefully, with confidence."
Download this free visual here:
https://www.educatorstechnology.com/.../AI-terminology.png

 

 

 From: https://www.educationworld.com/teachers/how-be-absent-managing-substitute-shortage

 

How to Be Absent: Managing a Substitute Shortage     

      

About 20 years ago, I was stranded in Florida after a quick President’s Day weekend getaway when a major snowstorm blanketed the D.C. region. Unable to get home and equally unable to get a substitute I had already worked with, I picked up the phone and started cold-calling substitute teachers from a gigantic list. Back in the day, both securing a substitute teacher and leaving appropriate lesson plans and materials seemed complicated enough. Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible. With the endless quarantining and isolation of both students and teachers, being present in a school building is increasingly difficult, not to mention finding others to come in and cover classes when emergencies arise. How can we navigate this new dearth of options for coverage? In the vein of managing what we have an impact on rather than focusing on what we have no control over, here are some ideas for making sure our classes are taken care of. Then, we can be away from work without being stressed out or upset.

Build Out Emergency Plans           

When I first started  teaching, my department chair kept our emergency lesson plans in a file cabinet. She requested that we provide one lesson plan plus student rosters and any other information a substitute might need, like a seating chart. When I became a department chair many years later in the age of Google, I also requested emergency lesson plans from each department member, though storing them electronically was a more environmentally friendly option. Now, having a lengthier trajectory of plans in the event of unforeseen circumstances is advisable. It makes sense to create plans that align with overall course goals but that can be taught at any point, just so that they are always relevant and their timeliness is evergreen. Instead of making one or two days’ worth of plans, providing a full week of options ensures that if the worst happens and we are stuck in dire straits, our students will have a well thought-out lesson plan that gives adults in the building (be they substitutes, colleagues or school leaders) time to make any longer-term plans if needed.

Keep Online Presence Active           

A year ago, our teaching presences existed almost exclusively online. We might be back in buildings now, but that digital persona is still out there, and we can take advantage of it. Now that Zoom has invaded every corner of our existence, will anything ever look the same again? Many teachers have disliked doing things virtually, but that does not mean we didn’t derive great benefit from what we took out of the experience. Beyond assigning work at a distance or sharing multimedia, it is very doable to create asynchronous lessons for our absences ahead of time by using programs like Flipgrid or even a platform like YouTube to make videos on a channel we create for professional purposes. If our absence is unforeseen but we can check in with our classes live, beaming in virtually is now an option that almost anyone who is covering a class can help us set up with a simple Zoom link. Essentially, redefining the way we perceive presence is a key element in shifting our own personal narrative around class coverage. With the help of technology, we can be very much a key part of our classes, in real time or not, near or far.

Arrange for Mutual Coverage           

For 10 years, I was lucky enough to have a desk next to my best friend in a communal teacher workspace. Before we went to our classes each morning, I would watch her put on makeup while we dished about what was happening in our lives. More importantly, I knew that if either of us needed help, we would be there for one another. The best part of our jobs is often the people we work with, both child and adult. Before the next emergency crops up (and with quarantining, it will likely be sooner rather than later), arrange a reciprocity system with one or more colleagues for class coverage. This is not the time to partner with a  teaching friend we may love, but who is always late; rather, we should set up a system of coverage with reliable, prompt people who exhibit professionalism as well as compassion. One important caveat is that there is absolutely no way a process like mutual coverage can function to the equal benefit of everyone. Unfortunately, some people will need more help than others, often because of circumstances beyond their control. However, having a structure already in place for who can be in our classrooms when a substitute is not available will help ease everyone’s minds, and that is valuable beyond measure.

Don’t Be a Martyr

Prior to the pandemic, I was fully guilty of working while sick. There were days I dragged myself into the classroom with migraines or with laryngitis, and I even kept teaching in the early phases of labor with my third child. Looking back with a lens now influenced by covid, I am ashamed that I did not just stay home. Whatever happens, coming to work when we are unwell cannot happen anymore. Somehow, we have convinced ourselves that if we are gone, our students will not learn. The hard truth is that even though we love our students and do amazing work with them each day, we are replaceable, particularly from a temporary standpoint. It is not worth jeopardizing our health (or heaven forbid, the health of our unvaccinated children) to drag ourselves into work because we are functioning under the premise that our presence is essential for anything to happen. Instead of thinking that way, getting ahead of our unforeseen absences with proactive preparation goes a lot farther than saving up our sick days and never using them.

Prepare Students for Disruption           

Over the past year, students have demonstrated their flexibility and adaptability in the face of extreme change. Case in point: children are far more willing to wear masks in school without complaint while the adults around them fuss unbecomingly. Along the lines of teachers not being martyrs, we can easily prepare our students for what happens when we cannot be with them. Sharing our online portals or systems for retrieving work from afar, being as responsive online as we are in person, and continually incorporating technology into our classes even when we are physically present are all ways to accustom students to seamlessly blending the two versions of teacher presence: remote and in-person. We can also assign roles to students that continue in our absence. For example, one student can be responsible for helping with attendance while another might circulate to provide tech assistance as needed. By thinking in advance about what kinds of supports students need when we aren’t right there next to them, we set our classes up to be successful even when we are not there in person.           

No one can pretend that what is happening right now in classrooms all over America is okay. Teachers are stretched to the breaking point, and a lack of flexible infrastructures around  educational support systems is causing way too much to come crumbling down. The availability of substitute teachers is part of that fallout, and while we could justifiably complain about what’s happening to us, it is probably more productive to do what we can to help ourselves and our students make it through this year. This is only October, and the pandemic is slogging along at an unbearably slow pace. Instead of waiting for things to get better in a future that we hope is not too distant, let’s do what we can right now to make things go a little more smoothly when life happens and we have to step back from being in our buildings.

Written by Miriam Plotinsky,  Education World Contributing Writer

Miriam is a Learning and Achievement Specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has worked for nearly 20 years as an English teacher, staff developer and department chair. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and recently earned her certification in Education Administration and Supervision. She can be followed on Twitter: @MirPloMCPS

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