IEP Accommodations in New York

What IEP accommodations are available in New York?

New York State requires the IEP to include a statement of any individual testing accommodations to be used consistently by the student in the recommended educational program and in the administration of districtwide assessments and State assessments of student achievement (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(vi)). Testing accommodations are defined as changes that remove disability-related obstacles to the testing process, allowing students with disabilities to participate in assessments on an equitable basis with nondisabled peers. The CSE must document all testing accommodations in the IEP, specifying the conditions or types of tests in which each accommodation is to be provided, along with implementation specifications to ensure consistency (NYSED Testing Accommodations Guide). New York organizes testing accommodations into four categories: flexibility in scheduling (such as extended time, multiple-day administration, scheduled breaks), flexibility in setting (such as separate location, small group testing, special lighting or acoustics, preferential seating), changes in method of presentation (such as revised test format or directions, tests read aloud, use of assistive technology, enlarged print), and changes in method of response (such as use of a scribe, responses recorded in any manner, use of spell-check or grammar-check, adaptive or assistive devices) (NYSED Testing Accommodations Guide). The IEP form includes drop-down options for common accommodations including extended time, breaks, multiple-day administration, revised test format/directions, assistive technology, separate location, adaptive equipment, special lighting/acoustics, preferential seating, calculation aids, scribes, on-task prompts, and waived requirements for spelling/punctuation (NYSED IEP Form Directions). For each accommodation, the committee must specify testing conditions and implementation recommendations, such as specifying 'time and a half' for extended time. These accommodations apply to State assessments including Regents examinations, Grades 3-8 assessments, the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA), and the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(vi)). The 'tests read' accommodation is permissible on all Regents Examinations, including ELA, for students with disabilities who have that accommodation documented in their IEP (NYSED Testing Accommodations Guide). Classroom accommodations must also be documented in the IEP under supplementary aids, services, program modifications, and accommodations to enable the student to participate in general education (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(v)). The CSE must review the student's need for test accommodations and/or modifications during each annual review (8 NYCRR §200.4(f)(2)).