IEP Accommodations in Virginia
What IEP accommodations are available in Virginia?
Virginia IEPs must include a statement of accommodations—supports and adjustments that enable a student with a disability to access the general education curriculum and participate in assessments without fundamentally altering content or performance expectations. Under 8VAC20-81-110.G.4, the IEP must specify the special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided. For statewide assessments, including the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, the IEP team must specify any individual appropriate accommodations, or if the student will take an alternate assessment (Virginia Alternate Assessment Program, VAAP), it must explain why the student cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the alternate assessment is appropriate (8VAC20-81-110.G.6). VDOE publishes a Participation and Accommodations Guide defining which accommodations are available for SOL assessments; only accommodations listed in this guide may be used on state assessments. All accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (8VAC20-81-100). Schools must ensure that all teachers and service providers implementing the IEP are informed of the student's specific accommodations and their responsibilities for implementation (8VAC20-81-110.B.3.a; 34 CFR 300.323(d)). Virginia requires parental consent before revising an IEP, which includes any change to documented accommodations (8VAC20-81-170.E.1.d)—a requirement that exceeds the federal baseline.
What Virginia Requires
The IEP must specify all accommodations for instruction and assessment, including supplementary aids and services and program modifications (8VAC20-81-110.G.4; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
For state and districtwide assessments (SOL tests), the IEP must list individual appropriate accommodations, or if the child will take an alternate assessment (VAAP), explain why and which one (8VAC20-81-110.G.6; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).
Only accommodations listed in VDOE's Participation and Accommodations Guide are permitted on SOL assessments; non-listed accommodations may still be used for classroom instruction.
All regular and special education teachers and related service providers must be informed of the specific accommodations in the IEP and their responsibility for implementing them (8VAC20-81-110.B.3.a; 34 CFR 300.323(d)).
Accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (8VAC20-81-100; 34 CFR 300.17).
Virginia requires parental consent before any IEP revision, including changes to accommodations (8VAC20-81-170.E.1.d)—this exceeds the federal baseline.
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be in effect at the beginning of each school year and as soon as possible after the IEP is developed (8VAC20-81-110.B.2.a; 34 CFR 300.323(a)).
IEP accommodations must be reviewed at least annually and revised as needed, with parental consent required for revisions (8VAC20-81-110.B.5; 8VAC20-81-170.E.1.d).
A written copy of the IEP, including all accommodations, must be provided to parents within 10 calendar days of the IEP meeting (8VAC20-81-110.E.7).