IEP Modifications in Georgia: Accommodations vs. Modifications
What is the difference between accommodations and modifications in a Georgia IEP?
In Georgia, modifications are changes that alter the content, standards, or expectations for a student with a disability, in contrast to accommodations which maintain grade-level expectations. The IEP Team determines whether a student requires modifications to the general education curriculum, and all modifications must be documented in the IEP (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06). Modifications may include reducing the number or complexity of assignments, altering the content that the student is expected to learn, adjusting grading criteria, or providing an alternate curriculum. When modifications are used, the student is exposed to the curriculum but only partial mastery is expected, and the student may be graded on modified standards. Georgia requires that placement decisions be made on a subject-by-subject basis, starting with the expectation that services will be provided in the regular education setting (GaDOE GO-IEP guidance). A child with a disability may not be removed from education in age-appropriate regular classrooms solely because of needed modifications in the general education curriculum. When content is modified, annual IEP goals must address how the content is modified. The distinction between accommodations and modifications is critical for assessment purposes: students receiving accommodations take the standard Georgia Milestones assessment, while students requiring modifications to assessment content may be candidates for the Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0 (GAA 2.0), though the IEP Team must determine this on an individual basis. The IEP must clearly distinguish between accommodations and modifications so that teachers, parents, and other service providers understand the expectations for the student. Georgia follows federal requirements that program modifications and supports for school personnel be based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4)).
What Georgia Requires
Modifications alter what the student is expected to learn or demonstrate, unlike accommodations which maintain grade-level expectations (GaDOE GO-IEP guidance).
All modifications must be documented in the IEP, including program modifications and supports for school personnel (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06).
When content is modified, annual IEP goals must address how the content is modified.
A child may not be removed from age-appropriate regular classrooms solely because of needed modifications in the general education curriculum (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.07; 34 CFR §300.116).
Students with significant modifications to assessment content may be candidates for the GAA 2.0, determined on an individual basis by the IEP Team.
Modifications and supports for school personnel must be based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4)).
The IEP must clearly distinguish between accommodations and modifications so all team members understand the student's expectations.
Key Timelines
Modifications must be reviewed and updated at least annually as part of the IEP Team's annual review (34 CFR §300.324(b)(1)).
Modifications take effect on the projected start date listed in the IEP and continue for the duration specified (34 CFR §300.320(a)(7)).
Placement decisions involving modifications must be reviewed at least annually based on the child's IEP (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.07; 34 CFR §300.116).