IEP Accommodations in Wisconsin
What IEP accommodations are available in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin IEPs must include a statement of accommodations for instruction and assessment that enable the student to access the general curriculum without fundamentally altering content standards. Under Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(d), the IEP must specify individual appropriate accommodations for state and districtwide assessments, or — if the student will take an alternate assessment — explain why and identify which alternate assessment is appropriate. Wisconsin participates in the Badger Exam (grades 3-8), the ACT Aspire (grade 9-10), and other statewide assessments administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; the DPI publishes testing accommodations guidance specifying which accommodations are permissible for each assessment. Accommodations must be provided at no cost as part of FAPE. All teachers and service providers must be informed of their specific responsibilities for implementing IEP accommodations (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
What Wisconsin Requires
The IEP must specify all accommodations for instruction and assessment, including supplementary aids and services (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(c), (d); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
For statewide assessments, the IEP must list individual appropriate accommodations or, if the student will take an alternate assessment, explain why and identify which one (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(d)).
Accommodations must not fundamentally alter what is being learned or tested; they provide access without changing content standards or performance expectations.
All teachers and service providers must be informed of the student's specific accommodations and their implementation responsibilities (34 CFR 300.323(d)).
Accommodations must be provided at no cost as part of FAPE (Wis. Stat. § 115.76(7); 34 CFR 300.17).
Wisconsin DPI publishes annual assessment accommodations guidance for the Badger Exam, ACT Aspire, and other statewide assessments specifying permissible accommodations per test.
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 as part of the annual IEP review (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(4)).
State assessment accommodations must be documented before the applicable testing window opens.