You’ve likely heard the terms “accommodation” and “modification”.  While they sound similar, they serve different purposes.

 

Accommodations provide different ways for students to learn information or communicate their knowledge.  The changes basically do not alter or lower the standards or expectations for a subject or a test. Modifications are changes in the content or instructional level of subject matter or tests.  They result in changing expectations and creating a different standard.

 

Accommodations change how a student learns the material that is being taught.

 

Modifications change what a student is taught or expected to learn.

 

You can review the below examples to help illustrate the differences between the two. Click here for a downloadable version of the below Accommodations vs. Modifications document.