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a ready-to-run workshopAccommodations, IEPs & 504s
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Accommodations, IEPs & 504s in the Classroom (Workshop)

General education teachers are responsible for delivering the supports in students' IEPs and 504 plans, but many feel unsure what the documents mean or what to do. This demystifies them: what accommodations are, how they differ from modifications, and your practical role.

Key takeaway

General education teachers must implement students' IEP and 504 accommodations; knowing what the documents require, and how accommodations differ from modifications, is a core professional responsibility.

Format
PLC / team meeting
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 4-40)
Who can run it
Any teacher-leader
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutA sample plan or your ownA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Rigorous ContentInTASC 2: Learning DifferencesIDEA; Section 504
Share / assign

Why it works

Students with disabilities are increasingly taught in general education classrooms, and the law (IDEA and Section 504) requires teachers to implement the accommodations in their plans. Teachers who understand the documents, and the difference between accommodations (changing how a student accesses learning) and modifications (changing what is learned), deliver the supports more consistently and effectively.

The research: IDEA and Section 504 requirements; research on inclusive practice.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: turn a plan into daily practice

    Teachers leave able to read a plan and deliver its common accommodations as part of their routine.

    Accommodations are required, not optionalIEP and 504 accommodations are legal commitments. Build the common ones into your routines so they happen consistently, not just when you remember.

    Facilitator notes

    Never quietly skip an accommodationIf an accommodation is not working, bring it to the team. Dropping a required support on your own is both ineffective and out of compliance.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Accommodations, IEPs & 504s: read it, deliver it

    <b>From document to daily practice:</b> accommodations vs modifications, delivered routinely.

    1. The student key accommodations:
    2. Accommodations (access) vs modifications (content):
    3. How I deliver the common ones routinely:
    4. What I will raise with the team:
    5. Who my special-ed collaborator is:

    Make it stick

    Make it routine and collaborative:

    Common questions

    What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?
    An accommodation changes how a student accesses the same learning (extra time, read-aloud). A modification changes what is learned (different standards or content). Most gen-ed supports are accommodations.
    Do I really have to follow every accommodation?
    Yes. IEP and 504 accommodations are legally required, not optional. If one is not working, raise it with the team rather than dropping it.
    How do I keep track of them all?
    Make a simple at-a-glance summary of each student's key accommodations, and build the common ones, like extra time or a quiet space, into your routines.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

    Workshop
    Universal Design for Learning
    Workshop
    Differentiation
    Workshop
    MTSS & RTI