IEP Accommodations in South Carolina
What IEP accommodations are available in South Carolina?
South Carolina IEPs must include a statement of supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and support for school personnel as required by 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) and Regulation 43-243. Accommodations enable the child to be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate (least restrictive environment). The IEP must also specify individual appropriate accommodations for state and district-wide assessments under 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6); accommodation decisions must align with the South Carolina Department of Education's assessment accommodation guidelines. South Carolina administers the SC READY assessment for ELA and mathematics, the SC PASS for science and social studies, and the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP). Students with significant cognitive disabilities may participate in the SC-Alt alternate assessment. If a child will not participate in a regular assessment or portion of it, the IEP must include a statement of why that assessment is not appropriate and which alternate assessment will be used. The IEP team must consider whether the child's disability requires assistive technology devices and services (34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(v)). Accommodations provided for instruction but not allowed for state assessment must be documented separately.
What South Carolina Requires
The IEP must include supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and support for school personnel to enable the child to be educated in the least restrictive environment (Reg. 43-243; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
Individual appropriate accommodations necessary to measure academic achievement and functional performance on state and district-wide assessments must be specified in the IEP (34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)(i)).
If the child will take the SC-Alt alternate assessment, the IEP must explain why the regular assessment is inappropriate and which alternate assessment will be used (34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)(ii)).
The IEP team must consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services and document the decision (34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(v)).
The IEP must specify the extent to which the child will not participate with nondisabled peers in regular education, extracurricular activities, and nonacademic activities (34 CFR 300.320(a)(5)).
Assessment accommodations must be consistent with those used routinely in classroom instruction and assessment throughout the school year; accommodations for instruction not allowed for state assessment must be documented separately (SCDE Assessment Accommodations Guidance).
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be reviewed and updated at each annual IEP meeting, at minimum every 12 months (34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Accommodation needs for assessment must be considered during IEP planning to ensure timely implementation before state assessment windows (34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).