IEP Accommodations in Michigan
What IEP accommodations are available in Michigan?
In Michigan, 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 learning expectations. Under 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4), as incorporated by MARSE R 340.1721e, the IEP must include a statement of supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and supports for school personnel. For statewide assessments — including the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP), MI-Access (Michigan's alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities), and WIDA ACCESS (for English learners) — the IEP must specify accommodations or explain why the student is taking an alternate assessment. Assessment accommodations must be consistent with standard testing conditions unless specifically authorized. Michigan's Office of Special Education issues annual assessment accessibility and accommodation manuals that govern which accommodations are permissible for each assessment. Common accommodation categories include: presentation (e.g., read aloud, braille, large print), response (e.g., scribe, speech-to-text), setting (e.g., small group, separate room), and scheduling (e.g., extended time, breaks). Accommodations must be used consistently across classroom instruction and assessment — accommodations listed in the IEP for assessment must also be routinely used in classroom instruction. The IEP team, not individual teachers, determines accommodations; teachers must implement them as written.
What Michigan Requires
The IEP must specify all accommodations for instruction and assessment, including supplementary aids and services and supports for school personnel (34 CFR 300.320(a)(4); R 340.1721e).
For M-STEP, MI-Access, and WIDA ACCESS, the IEP must list specific assessment accommodations or document why the student will take an alternate assessment (34 CFR 300.320(a)(6); R 340.1721e).
Assessment accommodations must be used consistently during classroom instruction — accommodations cannot be used on assessments only (Michigan OSE Assessment Accessibility and Accommodations manual).
The IEP team (IEPT) determines accommodations — classroom teachers must implement accommodations as written in the IEP and may not modify them unilaterally.
Supplementary aids and services (a category of accommodations under IDEA) must also be specified, including any supports for general education teachers working with the student (34 CFR 300.42; R 340.1721e).
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
Accommodations must be reviewed and updated at least annually at the IEP meeting (34 CFR 300.324(b); R 340.1721e).
Assessment accommodation lists for state testing are typically updated annually by MDE; IEP teams must verify accommodations against the current year's accessibility manual before testing.