IEP Accommodations in New Mexico
What IEP accommodations are available in New Mexico?
New Mexico IEPs must include a statement of the specific accommodations the student requires for both instruction and assessments. Accommodations are supports and adjustments that provide access to the general education curriculum and statewide assessments without fundamentally altering content or performance standards (6.31.2.11 NMAC; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) and (6)). For New Mexico's statewide assessments — the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement (NM-MSSA) for grades 3–8, and end-of-course assessments — the IEP must specify which individual appropriate accommodations are authorized. NMPED publishes annual Accommodations Manuals that define which accommodations are permissible for each state assessment; accommodations listed in the IEP must be consistent with those manuals to be valid for state testing purposes. If a student cannot participate in the regular NM-MSSA even with accommodations, the IEP team may determine the student qualifies for the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) alternate assessment, in which case the IEP must explain why the student cannot participate in the general assessment and why the alternate assessment is appropriate (6.31.2.11 NMAC; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)). All accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (34 CFR 300.17). Every teacher and service provider implementing the IEP must be informed of the student's specific accommodations and their responsibilities for providing them (34 CFR 300.323(d)). The IEP team determines accommodations based on individual student need, and accommodations must be regularly used during instruction to be valid for use on state assessments.
What New Mexico Requires
The IEP must specify all accommodations for instruction and for state and district-wide assessments, including supplementary aids and program modifications (6.31.2.11 NMAC; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
Assessment accommodations must be consistent with NMPED's published Accommodations Manuals for the NM-MSSA and other state assessments to be valid during testing.
If a student takes the DLM alternate assessment, the IEP must explain why the student cannot participate in the NM-MSSA even with accommodations and why the alternate assessment is appropriate (6.31.2.11 NMAC; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).
All teachers and service providers implementing the IEP must be informed of the student's specific accommodations and their implementation responsibilities (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
Accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (34 CFR 300.17).
Accommodations must be regularly used during classroom instruction to be valid for use during state assessments.
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be in effect before services begin and at the start of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
Accommodations must be reviewed at least annually at the IEP meeting and revised as needed (6.31.2.11 NMAC; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).