How to Read an IEP: Minnesota
Understanding Special Factors, Accommodations, Modifications, & State Testing Supports
Minnesota IEP Guide: Accommodations, Modifications, and State Testing
What is the testing, accommodations, and modifications section?
Terminology on this can get murky, but every single IEP has a section where a student’s accommodations and modifications for the classroom and for assessments is listed. This information is almost always broken into two sections– one for classroom accommodations and modifications and for testing accommodations and modifications. Testing accommodations and modifications are often broken up into classroom testing and state testing. That’s because state testing is really rule bound. Each state has a list of accommodations and modifications that students can be offered on state tests– and those are pretty limited. Like a student might be offered breaks, extra time, a separate setting, and noise canceling headphones for a state test. For classroom tests or instruction, the IEP team can often write in their own accommodations. For example, a student might need to sit away from their besties or sit near a door or sit near a teacher. Each of those is a classroom accommodation that can be listed in an IEP. For testing, a student might get a separate setting, double time, math content read aloud, a study guide, or even a free retake of a test. Basically, expect to see very few accommodations for a state test, slightly more for a classroom test, and far more for classroom instruction where there is no state mandated rubric of options to limit what students get.
A few key notes. 1) Accommodations change how something is done, modifications change what is done. Confused? Check out the page on it!; 2) Accommodations and modifications are legally required. That means that a teacher can’t say nope, don’t want to do it.; 3) Accommodations and modifications can be changed at any point with an amendment. If there is something a student wants or needs that isn’t on the IEP, you can add it really easily. A student asked last month for a break in class to be added to the IEP so we did. The parent didn’t even come in– I just sent paperwork home. Another student wanted headphones to cancel out distractions so we added that. Accommodations are a great area for students to practice self-advocacy and very, very easy to change. Just not on state tests. State tests are rule bound and you have very limited options for providing students with extra support on them.
Where are testing, accommodations, and modifications in the IEP?
Highly variable! Typically towards the end of the IEP. Sometimes in the middle end, sometimes at the very end. These are pretty dry so they are normally pushed towards the end.
How do testing, accommodations, and modifications vary across districts and states?
One of the biggest variations is state to state on testing accommodations and modifications. California has listening to the math items as a state testing accommodation. New Hampshire doesn’t. There are significant variations state to state in this. A second common difference is in the layout. All districts list classroom and testing accommodations separately, but some break down testing accommodations into state and classroom and some do not.
The third, and biggest difference, is in what this section is called. A lot will state something like “Required testing and assessments.” That means what tests the students will take and what supports they will get on them. A few don’t call classroom accommodations and modifications that. They will instead call them “supplementary aids and services.” That means classroom accommodations and modifications. I don’t know why the terminology varies so much but if you see anything like extra time, breaks, preferential seating or read aloud, you are in the right section.
This IEP comes from the Minnesota Valley school district. See the full IEP here.
Because the images are hard to read, a transcript is below.
Minnesota Valley School
801 Davis Street
St. Peter MN 56082
Tel (507) 934-5420
ACCOMMODATIONS, MODIFICATIONS AND SUPPORTS
MODIFICATIONS
Program Modifications, Supports and Adaptations in General and Special Education
Classroom teachers and shared paraprofessionals will provide verbal prompts, stated in a positive manner including the desired behavior, to redirect Polly’s behavior.
Polly will have a written daily schedule provided by the classroom teacher, to assist in telling what will be happening next and when activities are to be finished.
Following instruction by the mainstream teacher, Polly will be permitted to return to the special education classroom to complete assigned work.
Polly will be allowed to take content tests in a private setting free of noise and distractions.
Supplementary Aids and Services in Nonacademic and Extracurricular Activities and Services
(Blank)
Program Supports for School Personnel
(Blank)
STATE ASSESSMENTS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: MCAs and MTAS
The information included in this section was determined by the IEP team. If a parent has completed the annual written refusal to participate in state-wide testing, the information is not relevant.
The student will participate in:
☑ MCA without accommodations
☐ MCA with accommodations listed:
☐ MCAs are NOT administered at the grade level covered by this IEP.
READING (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10)
Individual settings
MATH (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11)
Individual settings
SCIENCE (Grades 5, 8 and High School)
Individual settings
Explain how accommodations selected are representative of those used in the classroom.
Student is allowed to take all content tests in a quiet/private location on request.
☐ Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS), an alternate assessment based upon alternate achievement standards.
Document IEP team decision: Explain why this assessment option is appropriate.
(Blank)
CIVICS REQUIREMENTS
The student will participate in:
☑ Civics requirements without accommodations
☐ Civics requirements with accommodations listed
☐ Civics requirements are not administered at the grade level covered by this IEP.
☐ The IEP team has determined the student is exempt from the Civics requirement.
☐ Parents have requested in writing that their child does not participate in Civics requirements for the current school year.
CIVICS (Anytime after Grade 6)
Individual setting
STATE ASSESSMENTS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ACCOUNTABILITY
(ACCESS – Grades K-12) (Alt Access – Grades 1-12)
The student will participate in: Not applicable.
☐ without accommodations
☐ with the accommodations listed below: (Blank)
DISTRICT-WIDE ASSESSMENTS
☑ District-wide Assessments are NOT administered at the grade level covered by this IEP
☐ District-wide Assessments ARE administered at the grade level covered by this IEP (if checked, continue below)
| District-wide Assessment: | List each assessment administered district-wide for all students in this grade |
|---|
| Is this assessment appropriate for the student? |
If YES, for each assessment, indicate if the student needs accommodations(s) and what specifically is needed.
If NO, state the reason why the specific district-wide assessment is not appropriate for the student and indicate what alternate assessment the student will be administered and why it is appropriate.
(Both fields are blank)
Parental Notification of Alternate Assessment
☐ If this box is checked, your child’s academic achievement will be assessed using modified academic achievement standards or alternate academic achievement standards, as indicated above, on state or district-wide assessments. Your child’s academic proficiency must always be based on the academic content standards for his or her grade level.
If you are a general education teacher, this is the most important part of the IEP. You are legally bound to allow the accommodations and modifications listed on the IEP. If any of them don’t make sense or sound awful, speak up! If any are missing, speak up. Also know that, while some are written as needed, all are really as needed. The IEP might say testing in a separate room but if the student doesn’t want that or need that on a particular exam, it doesn’t have to happen. An IEP shouldn’t be a sledgehammer, forcing a student to do something. Instead, an IEP should be a tool that the student can draw on to be successful– and one you can draw on to support them. So if a student is really squirmy in whole class testing, you might want to push that separate room– or the student might ask for it. At the same time, you can’t say no to an accommodation or modification listed on an IEP. It is a legally binding document. You can however ask that a particular accommodation or modification be removed at an IEP meeting.
If you are a parent, you want to check that these make sense. A lot of times students get an accommodation in kindergarten that somehow carries until 9th grade and makes utterly no sense. General education teachers need to implement these– and your child might be forced to have these if you have an intense general education teacher– so make sure that you have all of the accommodations your child needs and no more and no weird ones in the IEP. I regularly get ones for a tenth grader that state a read aloud or other things that my student thinks is super baby-ish. That accommodation has probably sat in the IEP for 6 years. It needs to go. I like to review accommodations with my students and ask them what they like. Students need agency in their IEPs and this is the easiest place for your child to speak up– they know what they like and hate so ask them their opinion!
Minnesota IEP Guide: Special Factors
What is the special factors IEP section?
On almost every district’s IEP there is a section explicitly titled special factors, because that is what the hodgepodge of things on that page is called in the federal law. IDEA states that IEP teams have to look at special factors that might impact a student’s learning in school including whether they are an English language learner, whether they are visually impaired, whether they are Deaf or hard of hearing, whether they have communication needs, whether they have behavioral challenges, or whether they would benefit from assistive technology like voice to text or an augmented communication device.
The way that most districts have operationalized this is by creating a page titled special factors with a lot of yes or no check boxes. Take Arizona for example. On the IEP, the team checks needed or not needed next to assistive technology, language needs for English learners, communication needs, behavioral needs, visual support needs for a visually impaired student, and hearing supports needed for a Deaf or hard of hearing student. In their sample, the team also wrote in a bit explaining their nos or adding context. Lots of districts don’t do that though and this page is just a check yes or no page. It’s an important page to pay attention to though because if anything is checked yes on this page, you want to know about it.
As an FYI, each of the boxes means something particular. For example, if the team checks yes on the behavior box on special factors that means that the child needs a behavior support plan. If a student is kind of rude in school, skips some classes, and is defiant sometimes, they would most likely have a no for that box. A yes is for students whose behaviors are significant enough to warrant a coordinated, formal behavior plan monitored and reviewed regularly by the full IEP team. This is typically for students with histories of safety concerns at school, whether that is running, self-harm, or aggression or histories of major disruptions and defiance significant enough to warrant a BSP/BIP (behavior support or intervention plan) rather than just an IEP goal focused on improving behaviors. Similarly, if the assistive technology box is checked, that means that the student needs specialized technology bought and paid for that individual child by the district. A 1-to-1 laptop from the district isn’t assistive technology. A special program on that laptop paid for by the district for that student would be. And the communication box should only be checked if the student works with a speech and language pathologist– and they check that box.
Where in the IEP is the special factors section?
Special factors is almost always it’s own page. It’s typically found after present levels but before IEP goals, although that can vary by district. It will almost always have special factors in its title.
How does special factors sections vary across states and districts?
Overall, this section doesn’t vary much district to district. One district might describe an English learner differently than another, but both will ask if a student is an English learner.
This IEP comes from the Minnesota Valley school district. See the full IEP here.
Because the images can be hard to read, a transcript is below.
Child Specific Paraprofessional Support
☐ Yes ☑ No
| Type of Paraprofessional Support | Start date | Frequency | Minutes per session | Location | Anticipated duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job Coach – Shared Small group | 09/01/2022 | 5/week | 145 | MVED PAES Lab | 1 semester |
A paraprofessional will transport and accompany Polly along with 3–4 other students in the PAES Lab. The para will drive Polly to and from the PAES lab (as it is located off site) in a school vehicle. While in the lab the para will help with scoring job tasks as directed by the PAES Lab Supervisor, redirect behaviors, give verbal clarifications as needed and demonstrate tasks as needed.
Assistive Technology
☐ Yes ☑ No ☐ More data needed, explain: (blank)
Transportation
☑ Yes, explain: ☐ No
Polly will be provided special transportation to and from the PAES lab daily because the program is located off-site at the St. Peter Middle School.
Interpreter required for service delivery
☐ Yes ☑ No
Extended School Year
☐ Yes ☑ No ☐ More data needed
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Explanation
Explanation of the extent, if any, to which the student will not participate with non-disabled students in the regular classroom and other activities. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(5).
Polly requires specialized instruction due to: behaviors related to her OHD and EBD. While receiving special education services, Polly will not participate in general education classes/activities with non-disabled peers because she is currently attending a level 4 program due to her behaviors. Polly will come in contact with non-disabled peers during her time in the PAES lab but will not be participating in programming directly with them as the PAES Lab is only open to Special Education Students at this time.
The following documents are attached:
☑ Positive behavior support plan
IEP for Polly PAES-Lab | Meeting date: 08/26/2021
Section: 7
Minnesota Valley School
801 Davis Street
St. Peter MN 56082
Tel (507) 934-5420
ACCOMMODATIONS, MODIFICATIONS AND SUPPORTS
MODIFICATIONS
Program Modifications, Supports and Adaptations in General and Special Education
Classroom teachers and shared paraprofessionals will provide verbal prompts, stated in a positive manner including the desired behavior, to redirect Polly’s behavior.
Polly will have a written daily schedule provided by the classroom teacher, to assist in telling what will be happening next and when activities are to be finished.
Following instruction by the mainstream teacher, Polly will be permitted to return to the special education classroom to complete assigned work.
Polly will be allowed to take content tests in a private setting free of noise and distractions.
Supplementary Aids and Services in Nonacademic and Extracurricular Activities and Services
(Blank)
Program Supports for School Personnel
(Blank)
As a parent, you want to make sure the information here is accurate. If your child has been suspended for aggression, you want to see the behavior box checked and a behavior support plan present in the IEP. If the IEP is mostly a discussion of your child’s behaviors and that box isn’t checked and there is no BSP, you need to ask why. If you think your child needs specialized technology to succeed, whether that is a magnifying sheet to make text bigger or an iPad with a communication app on it, you need to speak up. What’s on this page has to be provided by the district so you want those boxes checked if your child has a need.
As a teacher, the two big things to look at are the behavior box and the assistive technology box. If the behavior box is checked, look for the behavior plan. Then read it really closely, ask questions, and make a plan. If the box is checked and there is no plan, get the counselors or school psychologist involved because something is wrong. The student might never have an issue in your class, but the checking of the behavior box means there is a significant concern. The second thing to notice is whether there is assistive technology. If so, you want to follow up with the student and make sure they have access to it in your classroom. Also speak up. If you have safety concerns about the student and the box isn’t checked, ask. If you think a student would benefit from specialized technology and it isn’t in the IEP, ask. You are part of the team
