Key takeaways
- An accommodation changes how a student accesses learning; a modification changes what the student is expected to learn.
- Write each accommodation so a substitute could tell whether it happened.
- Track two things separately: was it delivered, and did it help.
- The same support can be an accommodation or a modification depending on the skill being measured.
- Compare occasions with and without the accommodation before deciding it works or does not.
A 504 or IEP accommodation changes how a student accesses learning or shows what they know, without changing what they are expected to learn. Good examples are specific and observable: "directions given in steps of no more than two, with a check for understanding" rather than "support with directions." The lists below are organized by need: attention, reading, writing, math, anxiety and regulation, sensory, and executive function. Each accommodation comes with a way to record whether it was delivered and a way to tell whether it helped. The needs overlap and every student is different, so treat these as a starting menu for the team, not a set to copy whole.
First: accommodation or modification?
The line matters because it changes grading, what a test score means, and in some cases a student's path to a diploma. The short version:
- Accommodation: same expectation, different access. Extended time, audio text, a scribe, a quieter room.
- Modification: different expectation. Fewer or easier test items, a shortened assignment that skips content, a different grading scale.
The same support can land on either side depending on the skill being measured. A calculator is an accommodation on a science test about density. On a test of multiplication facts, it is a modification, because it removes the skill being tested. Reading a passage aloud works the same way: an accommodation for a history quiz, a modification for a decoding assessment. Accommodation vs modification sorts ten borderline cases.
Everything on this page is written as an accommodation. Where one could become a modification, the table says so.
How to use the tables
Each row has three columns:
- Accommodation: written so a substitute could tell whether it happened.
- Record delivery: what to write down each time the accommodation applied.
- Did it help? a simple, repeatable measure to compare occasions with and without it.
Delivery and effectiveness are separate questions. An accommodation that is delivered every day but does not help needs a different conversation from one that helps but only happens half the time.
Attention
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Seat away from doors, windows, and high-traffic areas | Seat location noted when the seating chart changes | Redirections per lesson, before and after the move |
| Directions given in chunks of 1 to 2 steps, with a check for understanding | Yes or no per multi-step task | Did the student start the task within 2 minutes without asking again? |
| Scheduled movement break every 20 to 30 minutes | Break time logged, offered and taken | Minutes on task in the 10 minutes after a break vs no break |
| Tests in a reduced-distraction setting | Test name, date, and room | Items attempted and score vs tests in the classroom |
| Private signal to refocus instead of a verbal reminder | Tally of signals used per lesson | Did the student return to the task within 30 seconds? |
Reading
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Audio or text-to-speech for content-area texts and tests (modification on assessments of decoding or reading fluency) | Assignment or test, and whether audio was available and used | Comprehension questions correct with audio vs without |
| Extended time, such as 1.5 times the standard time, on reading-heavy tests | Standard time, time given, time used | Items completed and accuracy vs standard time |
| Enlarged print or increased spacing on handouts | Yes or no per handout | Did the student finish the page? Errors from skipped lines |
| Pre-teaching key vocabulary before a new text | Date and word list used | Vocabulary questions correct on pre-taught vs new words |
| Directions read aloud on request | Tally of requests per test or assignment | Directions followed correctly on first attempt |
Writing
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Speech-to-text for extended writing (modification if the goal is handwriting or spelling) | Assignment and tool used | Words produced and ideas included vs handwritten |
| Graphic organizer provided before writing | Yes or no per writing task | Rubric score on organization with vs without |
| Copy of class notes or guided notes | Date notes were provided | Quiz scores on material with provided notes vs self-taken notes |
| Keyboard for assignments over one paragraph | Assignment and device used | Completion rate and length compared with handwritten work |
| Spelling not scored on content-area written answers (modification on a spelling assessment) | Noted on the graded work | Content score and whether the student attempted longer answers |
Math
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Calculator for multi-step problems when computation is not the skill assessed (modification on computation or fact-fluency tasks) | Assignment and whether a calculator was allowed | Accuracy on problem setup and reasoning with vs without |
| Multiplication or formula reference chart | Yes or no per task | Problems completed and correct |
| Graph paper or boxes to line up columns | Yes or no per assignment | Errors from misaligned place value |
| Fewer problems per page, with the full set still assigned across pages | Formatted version provided, yes or no | Problems attempted and completed vs the standard page |
| Word problems read aloud | Test or assignment, and read aloud yes or no | Correct setup of word problems with vs without |
Note the wording on "fewer problems per page." Reformatting the same problems across more pages is an accommodation. Assigning fewer problems in total is a modification if it reduces the content the student must show.
Anxiety and regulation
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Break pass the student can use without asking, up to a set number per day | Time out, time back, per use | Minutes away per break and return to task afterward |
| Advance notice of schedule changes, drills, and substitutes | Date and how notice was given | Incidents or visits to the office on changed days with notice vs without |
| Brief check-in with a named adult at arrival | Yes or no per day, and which adult | Student's own 1-to-5 rating after check-in; first-period work started |
| Option to present to the teacher or a small group instead of the whole class | Assignment and format used | Presentation completed, and rubric score |
| Tests in a smaller group setting | Test name, date, and room | Items attempted and score vs whole-class testing |
Sensory
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Noise-reducing headphones during independent work and loud events | Activity, and offered or used | Minutes on task, or whether the student stayed for the event |
| Alternative seating such as a wobble cushion or standing desk | Seating used per lesson | Out-of-seat count per lesson with vs without |
| Access to a quiet space before transitions to lunch or assemblies | Time and length of each visit | Transitions completed without an incident |
| Reduced visual clutter at the student's work area | Date the space was set up; weekly check that it stays that way | Task completion before and after |
| Fidget tool during listening tasks | Yes or no per lesson | Answers to check-for-understanding questions with vs without |
Executive function
| Accommodation | Record delivery | Did it help? |
|---|---|---|
| Long assignments broken into parts with separate check-in dates | Checkpoint dates and whether each part was checked | Parts turned in on time; final project on time |
| Visual schedule or written agenda for the class period | Posted or given, yes or no per day | Transitions between activities without extra prompting |
| Written copy of homework and due dates, or a posted online list | Yes or no per assignment | Homework turn-in rate |
| Start-of-task prompt: a checklist of the first 3 steps | Checklist provided per task | Time from direction to starting the work |
| Weekly organization check with a teacher or counselor | Date and length of check | Missing assignments count, week over week |
A worked example: two weeks of one accommodation
A composite seventh grader we will call Elena has a 504 plan accommodation: "extended time of 1.5 times the standard time on tests and quizzes." Her math teacher logs every quiz for two weeks. Two quizzes were given with extended time and two were given in a period where a scheduling mix-up meant she only had standard time.
Each quiz has a standard time of 20 minutes, so extended time is 30.
| Date | Quiz | Minutes given | Delivered as written? | Items attempted | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29 | Ratios | 30 | Yes | 12 of 12 | 83% |
| Oct 1 | Unit rates | 20 | No, substitute unaware | 8 of 12 | 58% |
| Oct 6 | Percents | 30 | Yes | 12 of 12 | 75% |
| Oct 8 | Percents 2 | 20 | No, room change | 9 of 12 | 67% |
Delivery: 2 of 4 quizzes, or 50%. That is a delivery problem to fix first, and both misses had an identifiable cause.
Effect: with extended time, Elena attempted every item and averaged 79%. Without it, she attempted 17 of 24 items and averaged 63%. Most of the gap came from items she never reached. Four quizzes is a small set, but the pattern gives the team something concrete: the accommodation appears to be working, and the fix is making sure substitutes and room changes do not drop it.
The team would not want to withhold an accommodation to test it. In practice, comparisons come from occasions where it was missed, from before it started, or from similar tasks where it does not apply. Documenting accommodation effectiveness covers how to set those comparisons up fairly.
Writing accommodations that can be tracked
Vague accommodations cannot be tracked, and they are the ones most likely to be missed by a substitute. Rewrite until someone new could check it:
- "Extra time as needed" becomes "1.5 times the standard time on tests and quizzes."
- "Breaks" becomes "a break pass, up to 3 per day, without asking."
- "Preferential seating" becomes "seated within 2 rows of the teacher, away from the door."
- "Reduced workload" needs a closer look: if it reduces the content, it is a modification and should be listed as one.
Tracking accommodations from IEP and 504 wording to daily evidence walks through a delivery routine that survives a real week, and preparing accommodation evidence for the annual review covers turning a term of entries into a meeting summary.
Tracking accommodations in Evident
Paper works: a yes or no per occasion on a yes/no data sheet covers delivery. In Evident, each student's accommodations are listed with an effectiveness rating (highly effective, effective, somewhat effective, not effective, or not yet assessed) and notes, and the effectiveness summary can go into an evidence packet for a 504 or IEP meeting. The sample evidence packet shows what that section looks like printed.
Common questions
What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?
An accommodation changes how a student learns or shows learning, such as extra time, audio text, or a quieter testing room, while the expectation stays the same. A modification changes what the student is expected to learn or demonstrate, such as fewer or simpler test items or a different grading standard.
What are common 504 accommodations for ADHD?
Common examples include seating away from high-traffic areas, directions given in short chunks with a check for understanding, scheduled movement breaks, extended time on tests, and tests in a reduced-distraction setting. The right set depends on the student's specific needs, not the diagnosis.
How do I document that an accommodation was provided?
Record each occasion the accommodation applied: the date, the activity, whether it was offered, and whether the student used it. A quick yes or no per occasion is enough, as long as it is written at the time.
How do I know if an accommodation is working?
Compare the student's performance or behavior on occasions with the accommodation against similar occasions without it, using the same measure each time. A simple rating or a completion count is often enough. Two to four weeks of occasions usually gives the team something to discuss.