IEP Accommodations in Texas
What IEP accommodations are available in Texas?
Texas IEPs must include a statement of any individual appropriate and allowable accommodations necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the student on state and districtwide assessments (19 TAC §89.1055(c); 34 CFR §300.320(a)(6)(i)). Accommodations are changes to materials, procedures, or the testing environment that enable students with disabilities to participate meaningfully in learning and testing without altering the content or rigor of what is being taught or assessed. The ARD committee is responsible for determining all accommodations for both classroom instruction and state assessments, and must document these decisions in the student's IEP (19 TAC §89.1055(c)). For the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), the ARD committee selects accommodations from categories established by TEA, which include accessibility features available to all students, designated supports that do not require TEA approval (locally approved for students meeting eligibility criteria), and designated supports requiring TEA approval through an Accommodation Request Form (19 TAC §101.3013). The ARD committee must ensure that selected accommodations do not invalidate the assessment score (34 CFR §300.160(b)(2)(i)). If the ARD committee determines that a student cannot participate in the general STAAR assessment even with accommodations, the IEP must include a statement explaining why the student cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the particular alternate assessment (STAAR Alternate 2) is appropriate for the child (34 CFR §300.320(a)(6)(ii); 19 TAC §89.1055(d)(1)). Students taking STAAR Alternate 2 cannot be precluded from attempting to complete the requirements for a regular high school diploma (34 CFR §300.160(d)(2)). For classroom instruction, the IEP must describe supplementary aids and services, including accommodations, to be provided to the child or on behalf of the child to enable participation in general education classes, extracurricular activities, and nonacademic activities with nondisabled peers (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4)). The ARD committee must also consider assistive technology devices and services as a potential accommodation for every student (34 CFR §300.324(a)(2)(v)). Accommodations differ from modifications in that accommodations do not change the content, standards, or expectations for the student, while modifications alter what the student is expected to learn or demonstrate. For emergent bilingual students receiving special education, the ARD committee and Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) must collaborate to select appropriate assessment accommodations and document decisions in the IEP (19 TAC §101.1005(a)).
What Texas Requires
The IEP must include a statement of individual appropriate and allowable accommodations for state and districtwide assessments necessary to measure academic achievement and functional performance (19 TAC §89.1055(c); 34 CFR §300.320(a)(6)(i))
The ARD committee determines STAAR accommodations from TEA-established categories: accessibility features, locally approved designated supports, and designated supports requiring TEA approval (19 TAC §101.3013)
Selected accommodations must not invalidate the assessment score (34 CFR §300.160(b)(2)(i))
If the student cannot participate in general STAAR even with accommodations, the IEP must explain why and justify the selection of STAAR Alternate 2 (34 CFR §300.320(a)(6)(ii); 19 TAC §89.1055(d)(1))
Classroom accommodations including supplementary aids and services must be documented in the IEP to enable participation in general education and nonacademic activities (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4))
The ARD committee must consider assistive technology devices and services for every student with a disability (34 CFR §300.324(a)(2)(v))
For emergent bilingual students, the ARD committee and LPAC must collaborate to select appropriate assessment accommodations and document decisions in the IEP (19 TAC §101.1005(a))
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be reviewed and updated at least annually as part of the ARD committee's annual IEP review (34 CFR §300.324(b)(1))
Assessment accommodations must be determined and documented before each testing window for STAAR administrations
Designated supports requiring TEA approval must be submitted through an Accommodation Request Form prior to the testing window
Accommodations in the IEP take effect on the projected start date for services and modifications documented in the IEP (34 CFR §300.320(a)(7))