IEP Accommodations in West Virginia
What IEP accommodations are available in West Virginia?
West Virginia IEPs must specify all accommodations that enable the student with a disability to access the general curriculum and participate in instruction and assessments without altering content or performance expectations. Under W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-7.1.2.d, the IEP must include a statement of supplementary aids and services to support the student in general education settings. For state and districtwide assessments, including the West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA) and the West Virginia Alternate Assessment (WVAA) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the IEP team must specify individual appropriate accommodations, or explain why the student cannot participate in the regular assessment and which alternate assessment is appropriate (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-7.1.2.f). WVDE publishes a West Virginia Accessibility and Accommodations Manual defining permissible accommodations for state assessments. All accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE. All teachers and service providers must be informed of their specific responsibilities for implementing the IEP, including accommodations (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
What West Virginia Requires
The IEP must specify all supplementary aids and services to support the student's access to the general curriculum (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-7.1.2.d; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
For state assessments (WVGSA), the IEP must list individual appropriate accommodations; if the student takes the West Virginia Alternate Assessment (WVAA), the IEP must explain why and which assessment is appropriate (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-7.1.2.f).
Accommodations must not fundamentally alter the content being assessed—they provide access supports without changing standards or expectations.
All regular and special education teachers and related service providers must be informed of the specific accommodations in the IEP and their implementation responsibilities (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
Accommodations must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-2.1; 34 CFR 300.17).
Key Timelines
Accommodations must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
IEP accommodations must be reviewed at least annually and revised as needed (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-7.3).
Progress on the effectiveness of accommodations is reviewed through periodic progress reports at least as frequently as report cards (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-7.1.2.h).