IEP Accommodations in Tennessee
What IEP accommodations are available in Tennessee?
Tennessee IEPs must specify all accommodations that enable the child with a disability to access the general education curriculum and participate in state and district assessments. Under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-01-09-.12, the IEP must include supplementary aids and services and program modifications that will be provided to or on behalf of the child. For statewide assessments such as the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) and End-of-Course (EOC) exams, the IEP team must specify any individual accommodations the child needs, or determine that the child will take the Tennessee Alternate Assessment (TAA), explaining why the child cannot participate in the regular assessment. Tennessee's Assessment Accommodations Manual, published by TDOE, defines which accommodations are permitted for TCAP and EOC assessments. All accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE. Teachers and service providers must be informed of the specific accommodations in the IEP and their responsibility for implementing them.
What Tennessee Requires
The IEP must specify all accommodations for instruction and assessment, including supplementary aids and services and program modifications (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-01-09-.12; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
For statewide assessments (TCAP, EOC), the IEP must list individual accommodations or, if the child takes the Tennessee Alternate Assessment (TAA), explain why the child cannot participate in the regular assessment and which alternate assessment is appropriate (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-01-09-.09(1)(c); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).
All regular and special education teachers and related service providers must be informed of the specific accommodations and their responsibility for implementing them (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
Accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-10-102(6); 34 CFR 300.17).
Accommodations must not fundamentally alter what is being measured — they provide access while maintaining content standards and performance expectations (34 CFR 300.160(b); OCR guidance on assessment accommodations).
The IEP team determines appropriate accommodations based on the individual student's needs as documented in the evaluation and present levels (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-01-09-.12; 34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)).
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be in effect at the beginning of each school year and as soon as possible after the IEP is developed (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
IEP accommodations must be reviewed at least annually and revised as needed (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-01-09-.12; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).