E48. Test-Taking Accommodations: What’s Allowed, What Works, and Why It Matters

About this episode

Stephanie DeLussey discusses test-taking accommodations for students with disabilities, clarifying their importance and differences from modifications.

Test taking accommodations can feel confusing for many special education teachers, especially during testing season. Questions often come up about what is allowed, what is not, and how to make sure students are properly supported during assessments. In this episode, Stephanie breaks down what test taking accommodations actually are and how they should be used to support students with disabilities. She also explains the important difference between accommodations and modifications, and why that distinction matters during benchmark and state testing. Stephanie covers • What test taking accommodations are and how they help remove barriers without lowering expectations • The difference between accommodations and modifications and why modifications are not allowed on benchmark or state assessments • The benefits of accommodations for access, equity, and more accurate student data • Five commonly permitted accommodations teachers should understand and begin teaching students to use • Why accommodations should be practiced throughout the year, not introduced only during testing This episode helps special education teachers better understand how accommodations support students in…

People in this episode

Host: Stephanie DeLussey

Topics covered

• test-taking accommodations
• special education
• support for students with disabilities
• accommodations vs modifications
• benchmark testing
• state assessments

Keywords

• test-taking accommodations
• special education
• students with disabilities
• benchmark assessments
• state testing
• equity in education
• accessibility

More episodes of The Intentional IEP Podcast

• E58. Stop the Chaos: Systems for Communicating with Multiple Paraprofessionals · June 8, 2026 · 18 min
• Special Education Teachers: This Is for You · June 5, 2026 · 1 min
• E57. How to Explain Lack of Progress to Parents (Without Panic) · June 1, 2026 · 19 min
• E56. The Top 5 Self-Reflection Questions Teachers Should Ask at the End of the Year · May 25, 2026 · 10 min
• E55. 3 Benefits of Sending a Draft IEP Home Before the Meeting · May 18, 2026 · 12 min
• E54. Fading Prompts + the Prompt Hierarchy: What Every Special Ed Teacher Needs to Know · May 11, 2026 · 11 min