IEP Accommodations in Pennsylvania
What IEP accommodations are available in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania requires that the IEP include a statement of any individual appropriate accommodations necessary for the student to participate in state and district-wide assessments, as well as accommodations used in the classroom setting (34 CFR §300.320(a)(6); 22 Pa. Code §14.131). Accommodations change how a student accesses content or demonstrates learning but do not alter academic standards or expectations. Pennsylvania's statewide assessment system includes the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) for grades 3–8 and the Keystone Exams (Algebra I, Literature, and Biology) at the high school level. The Pennsylvania Department of Education publishes annual Accommodations Guidelines for PSSA and Keystone Exams specifying which accommodations are permitted, which require IEP documentation, and which would invalidate test results. Key permitted testing accommodations include: extended time (PSSA and Keystone are untimed, so additional time is available to any student), text-to-speech or human reader for specified sections, magnification tools, adaptive calculators, separate testing location, small group testing, sign language interpretation, and translated directions. Testing accommodations must be consistent with accommodations used in daily classroom instruction (PDE Accommodations Guidelines). Accommodations provided on state assessments must be documented in the student's IEP or Section 504 Service Agreement (22 Pa. Code Chapter 15). If the IEP team determines the student cannot participate in PSSA or Keystone Exams even with accommodations, the team may designate participation in the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet six eligibility criteria. Classroom accommodations documented in the IEP address four domains: presentation (how material is presented), response (how the student demonstrates learning), setting (the learning environment), and timing/scheduling (when and how long). Pennsylvania's supplementary aids and services framework from PaTTAN organizes classroom supports into four categories: collaborative, instructional, physical, and social-behavioral (PaTTAN Supplementary Aids and Services Toolkit).
What Pennsylvania Requires
IEP must include a statement of individual appropriate accommodations for state and district-wide assessments (34 CFR §300.320(a)(6); 22 Pa. Code §14.131)
Testing accommodations must be consistent with accommodations used in daily classroom instruction (PDE Accommodations Guidelines)
Accommodations must be documented in the IEP or Section 504 Service Agreement to be provided on PSSA or Keystone Exams (22 Pa. Code Chapter 15)
PSSA and Keystone Exams are untimed; extended time beyond scheduled sessions is available to any student (PDE Accommodations Guidelines)
Permitted accommodations include text-to-speech, human reader, magnification, adaptive calculators, separate location, small group, sign language interpretation, and translated directions
IEP team must determine whether the student participates in PSSA/Keystone or PASA; PASA requires meeting six eligibility criteria for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities
Classroom accommodations must be documented in the IEP across four domains: presentation, response, setting, and timing/scheduling
PA supplementary aids and services framework organizes supports into four categories: collaborative, instructional, physical, and social-behavioral (PaTTAN Toolkit)
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be reviewed and updated at each annual IEP meeting (34 CFR §300.324(b))
Accommodations for state assessments must be in place before the testing window opens; PDE publishes annual Accommodations Guidelines
PASA eligibility determination must be made by the IEP team annually