IEP Accommodations in Indiana
What IEP accommodations are available in Indiana?
Indiana IEPs must specify all accommodations needed for a student to access instruction and participate in statewide and district assessments without fundamentally altering the content or expectations being assessed. Under 511 IAC 7-42-6(a)(6), the IEP must include a statement of any individual appropriate accommodations required to measure the student's academic achievement and functional performance on state or local assessments. If the Case Conference Committee (CCC) determines that the student must take an alternate assessment, the IEP must explain why the student cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the selected alternate assessment is appropriate. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) publishes an Indiana Assessment Accessibility and Accommodations Manual governing permissible testing accommodations on ILEARN and the statewide assessment system. All instructional and assessment accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (IC 20-35-1-7). Accommodations differ from modifications in that they provide access without changing what is being learned or assessed. The CCC must also consider the student's need for assistive technology devices and services as a special factor during IEP development (511 IAC 7-42-6; 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(v)). All teachers and service providers must be informed of the accommodations in the IEP and their responsibility to implement them.
What Indiana Requires
The IEP must include individual appropriate accommodations needed to measure the student's academic achievement and functional performance on state and local assessments (511 IAC 7-42-6(a)(6); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).
If the student will take an alternate assessment, the IEP must explain why the student cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the selected alternate assessment is appropriate (511 IAC 7-42-6(a)(6)).
The CCC must consider the need for assistive technology devices and services as a special factor during IEP development (511 IAC 7-42-6; 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(v)).
Accommodations must not fundamentally alter the content standards or performance expectations being measured — they provide access without changing expectations.
All teachers and service providers must be informed of the accommodations in the IEP and their responsibility for implementation (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
All accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (IC 20-35-1-7; 34 CFR 300.17).
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
IEP accommodations must be reviewed at least annually at the CCC meeting and revised as needed (511 IAC 7-42-7).
Assistive technology must be available at the projected start date documented in the IEP (34 CFR 300.323(a)).