IEP Accommodations in Maryland
What IEP accommodations are available in Maryland?
In Maryland, accommodations are supports and adjustments that enable a student with a disability to access the general education curriculum and participate in assessments without fundamentally altering the content or expectations. Under COMAR 13A.05.01.09A(4) and (6), the IEP must include a statement of supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and the individual appropriate accommodations necessary for the child to participate in state and districtwide assessments. For Maryland state assessments (MCAP — Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program), the IEP team specifies permissible accommodations consistent with MSDE's Accommodations Manual. If a student cannot participate in the regular MCAP even with accommodations, the team must determine whether the student will take the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities, with a written explanation of why (COMAR 13A.05.01.09A(6)). Accommodations differ from modifications: accommodations maintain the same learning standards while providing access supports, while modifications change what the student is expected to learn. All accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE. Teachers and service providers must be informed of the child's specific accommodations and their implementation responsibilities (34 CFR 300.323(d)). Maryland Local Education Agencies (LEAs) must also ensure that accommodations documented in the IEP are consistently implemented across all settings.
What Maryland Requires
The IEP must specify all supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and supports for school personnel (COMAR 13A.05.01.09A(4); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
For MCAP state assessments, the IEP must list individual appropriate accommodations, or explain why an alternate assessment (MISA) is more appropriate for the student (COMAR 13A.05.01.09A(6); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).
Accommodations must not fundamentally alter what is being learned or tested — they provide access without changing content standards or performance expectations (34 CFR 300.160; COMAR 13A.05.01.09A(6)).
All regular and special education teachers and related service providers must be informed of the specific accommodations in the IEP and their responsibility for implementing them (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
Accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (COMAR 13A.05.01.02; 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 and revised as needed (COMAR 13A.05.01.08B; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Progress on effectiveness of accommodations should be monitored through periodic progress reports, issued at least as frequently as report cards (COMAR 13A.05.01.09B).