I heard it in the teacher’s lounge:
“He’s on an IEP… so I told him to just do the even-numbered questions.”
It wasn’t malicious. It wasn’t lazy. It was someone trying to help.
And that’s exactly the problem.
Modifications Aren’t Bad. Misusing Them Is.
A lot of IEP teams still confuse accommodations with modifications—and that confusion has real consequences.
- Accommodations keep the academic goal the same. They change how the student accesses or demonstrates learning.
- Modifications change the goal itself. They lower the expectation or alter the outcome entirely.
When you mix them up, you risk unintentionally removing access to grade-level content, limiting future opportunities, and sending the message: “We don’t expect you to get there.”
What To Ask Before You Modify
- Have we actually supported this student with accommodations?
- Do we have data showing those supports weren’t enough?
- Are we modifying because the student needs it—or because we’re overwhelmed?
This isn’t about blame. It’s about intention.
You already care. Now show up with a plan.
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