Instructional, Environmental or Assessment Accomodation??
Extra time for proccessing
Instructional or Assessment
- This is a change to the work that is given by allowing a student more time if that is what they require to be successful in the task.
Proximity to the teacher
Accomodation
- This is an environmental accomodation. We are changing the students environment/seating location to support the student at thier need. Some students might need this support to stay focused on the task at hand or to keep from being distracted by peers. Also for students with hearing or speech difficulties this could be crucial in them having access to share ideas and recieve infomation.
True or False
When identifying students and determining whether they need modifications we refer to PPM8?
True
- The PPM8 is our guide and starting point in identifying a student and planning for a student who may need modifications due to a learning disability.
Johnny is on an IEP. He is having trouble reading grade level content to complete a science task. Would an accomodation or modification support this specific issue? Discuss some specific solutions.
Accomodation - Assistive technologies like google read
- Small group placement to help with the reading
- We are not grading his reading level during this task so we are accomodating this part of the task without changing the level of work.
A________is a change in what is being taught to the child.
Modification
- these are changes made to the grade level or increasing or decreasing the number and/or complexity of the regular grade–level curriculum expectations.
Use of headphones
Environmental
- in this case we are changing the environment to support the student. The student might be distracted easily or have a sensitivity to noise.
Assistive Technology - Speech-to-text
Accomodation
- Just like a scribe. Allows students to share thinking and understanding without the barrier of not being able to write effectively.
True or False
The IEP reflects the unique learning profile of the student and the severity of the students learning disability or disablities.
True - PPM 8 (source)
Mats is on an IEP and is several grades behind in his reading level . He uses assistive technology to read however is struggling to complete reading comprehension tasks.
Modification - Mats is having a lot of difficulties with reading and comprehending at his grade level and because it is his reading and understanding that is being assessed it becomes more challenging to provide accomodations to support the student. We can attempt to reduce the amount of work, however the work would still need to assess the specific grade expectation that you are addressing with the rest of the students. Shortening or rewording questions could be effective. Taking out questions that capture the same skill as another so the student still demonstrates the skill but only once is a way to accomodate in this situation. I still think however since the student could not read the grade level text, lowering the level of the comprehension task so he is able to complete it successfully would be the most effective way to support the student.
A _____________ is a change in what is being expected from a student.
Modification
- these are changes made to the grade level or increasing or decreasing the number and/or complexity of the regular grade–level curriculum expectations.
High Structure
Environmental
- By having a high structured environment, we are using structure to support students that require schedules and predictability. It allows for more effective transitions and leads to an environment with less surprises. This can be effective with all students including those with behavioural concerns as well as students with ASD. The end goal is to have the student become more indepedent.
Verbatim Scribe
Accomodation
- Printing should not be a barrier to student thinking.
True or False
Is differentiating your instruction an accomodation?
False - Differentiating instruction is or should be common practice in all classrooms. We differentiate instruction to reach different learning types and different students to create an equitable learning space.
Mohammed has a hard time showing his understanding because he has difficulties with organizing his ideas. Everytime he does a test he freezes up and becomes emotional. He then lashes out by throwing things or walking out of the room. Would a modification or accomodation support him better?
Accomodation
-It seems Mohammed does understand the content however has barriers to showing his learning whether it be his writing ability or confidence in test taking. For Mohammed we could support him with assistive technology to support his writing however if he is still having the test anxiety we could do a variey of things such as shorten the task, allow him to orally respond through a conference with the teacher or if needed assess his understanding of the expectation through task completion and class participation.
An _____________ is a change that helps the student overcome or work around the disability.
Accomodation
-accommodations in no way changes the curriculum expectations for the grade level.
-acommodations are strategies, supports or equipment that allow students to learn and be assessed.
Manipulatives
Instructional/ Assessment
- Providing additional manipulatives for many students is essential for them to be successful in certain tasks. During instruction many students are more tactile learners and learn by moving and doing. During assessment students might be able to communictae their thinking or strategies by showing it with manipulatives rather than organizing their ideas on paper.
Removing several multiplication word problem questions and having the student complete only some of the questions.
Accomodation
- Shortening tasks is an accomodation as long as the grade level expectation is still being met. If we can assess the student's understanding with less questions and it benefits them then we should. Some students might become very flustered or overwhelmed with too many questions.
True or False
Students need to be identified as exceptional to have the support of an IEP.
True
-These are students students who have behavioural, communicational, intellectual, physical or multiple exceptionalities, and have needs that regular programming cannot support. IPRC determines whether a students has an exceptionality.
Our grade 3 class is working on multiplying and dividing numbers using number lines and arrays. Luc is a new student to the school who came with an IEP with accomodations. He is struggling with the concept because it is noticed that he has extreme difficulties with some early numeracy strategies such as skip counting and addition. The teacher decides to teach Luc skip counting and addition starting at levels below Lucs grade. Is the teacher modifying or accomodating Luc in this case?
Modification? Accomodation?
- This one's tricky. I often start lower than grade level if a student is struggling on a topic with a goal of filling gaps and catching the student up. I suppose technically the teacher is modifying in the moment however is still expecting the child at this point to complete grade level work eventually in the school year. So I guess Accomodation? I think at this point gathering much more work samples and information about how the student learns in consultation with previous teachers and the school team we would decide if in fact Luc is not able to catch up and would require a formal modification on his IEP in numeracy and operations.
True or False - When a student is accomodated you must include information on current level of achievement, annual program goals, or learning expectation
False
-Because the student is working on grade-level curriculum expectations, without modifications, there is no need to include information on current level of achievement, annual program goals, or learning expectations
Conferences/Oral responses
Assessment
- Allowing the student to share orally to assess learning allows us to determine understanding without borders of writing, reading etc.
Heather is a Grade 3 student. This is on her IEP.
“Heather will recall and demonstrate addition facts for numbers up to 20, and related subtraction facts. (Grade 2 Expectation)
Modification
- This expectation states that it is a Grade 2 expectation whichs means that Heather who is a grade 3 student will be working on a grade level expectation below her grade.
True or False
When developing an IEP for a student, add modifications and accomodations and then take unnecessary modifications off later if they are not required.
False
-Although it is a growing document when developing an IEP and deciding between accomodations and/or modifications you should first aim to support the student using accomodations and then add modifications if deemed necessary. You can add to, and grow the document to support the student's specific needs as you go, in consultantion with school support and the student's family.
Gerard is in Grade 3 and is beginning to struggle academically. He has missed a lot of school in the past and when at school he often finds himself out of the class due to behaviours. He is on an IEP with alternative expectations for his learning skills. Now that he is beginning to fall behind and cannot do most grade level tasks should he have any accomodations, modifications or any?
Adjust Alternative expectations as well as implement some accomodations
-In this case we need to adjust the current goals on the alternative expectations to allow Gerard to be successful in his learning skills as they seem to currently not be effective or at least have not been in the past. Reaching out to family, admin and community supports to ensure Gerard is in school is essential. Last, accomodating Gerard through things like small groups, high structure, proximity, shortened tasks, oral responses could prove to support his learning and academic success. I think we get him here and in class first, and then see how he grows.
True or False
You can have both modifications and accomodations on a students IEP?
True
-Yes you do not have to select one or another, in fact in my experience most students that have modifications on thier report cards also had many accomodations to support them alongside the modifications.