Accommodations

Read more about the supports that allow students with disabilities to learn at their full potential
College students blurred and moving around a white male sitting at desk in a college classroom
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Special Education Students With Disabilities Urge Smoother Transition to College
Legislation would simplify the process for students with disabilities to continue getting accommodations when they head to college.
Evie Blad, November 1, 2022
4 min read
Technology assistive device for persons with visual impairment
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Classroom Technology 10 Tips for Making Digital Materials More Accessible to Students With Disabilities
Avoiding PDFs, editing automatic transcriptions, and describing what's onscreen rather than pointing are among their ideas.
Mark Lieberman, June 28, 2022
4 min read
Illustration of a young boy holding his hands against his temples with his eyes close. Clouds and virus pathogens circling around him.
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Student Well-Being Thousands of Students Will Face Long COVID. Schools Need to Plan Now
The issue may not be on educators' radar screens, but should be.
Catherine Gewertz, June 20, 2022
7 min read
Image of a student holding a mask and a backpack near the entrance of a classroom.
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Special Education Protect Students With Disabilities as COVID Rules Ease, Education Secretary Tells Schools
Even as schools drop precautions like mask requirements, they must by law protect medically vulnerable students, a letter emphasizes.
Evie Blad, March 25, 2022
3 min read
Kindergartener Quinn Bonk helps her classmate Carter Fairley, both 6, as the two color hearts for a craft project together during a Valentine's Day party in kindergarten teacher Julie VanEvery's classroom on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 at Thomson Elementary School in Davison, Mich.
Kindergartener Quinn Bonk, right, helps her classmate Carter Fairley on a craft project during a Valentine's Day party last month at Thomson Elementary School in Davison, Mich.
Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP
Student Well-Being A New Imperative for Schools: Protecting Vulnerable Kids as Masks Disappear
Relying only on virtual learning or voluntary masking for kids at greater risk of illness from COVID-19 is legally and medically risky.
Catherine Gewertz, March 10, 2022
6 min read
A sign posted outside an August 2021 meeting of the Douglas County school board meeting in Castle Rock, Colo., asks visitors to wear masks. The meeting was held to discuss the use of masks and other protective measures in county schools.
A sign posted outside an August 2021 meeting of the Douglas County school board meeting in Castle Rock, Colo., asks visitors to wear masks. The meeting was held to discuss the use of masks and other protective measures in county schools.
Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via AP
Student Well-Being Relaxed Mask Guidelines Raise Anxiety for Parents of Children With Disabilities
The CDC's changes could undercut some legal arguments for those who have pushed universal masking to protect medically vulnerable children.
Evie Blad, March 1, 2022
5 min read
Student writes a note for "HELP" on her schoolwork
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Student Well-Being Students With Depression, Anxiety May Qualify for Accommodations, Feds Tell Schools
As COVID fuels concerns, the Education and Justice departments detailed schools' obligations to students with mental health conditions.
Evie Blad, October 13, 2021
3 min read
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Special Education Opinion Daydreaming or Distracted? What Teachers Misunderstand About ADHD
Teachers must not wait for a firm diagnosis to make important learning accommodations for students who may have ADHD, writes Kyle Redford.
Kyle Redford, May 2, 2018
4 min read
Special Education Study: Students With ADHD Not Helped by Common Test Accommodations
Extended testing time or frequent breaks did not appear to help students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder perform better on a standardized test, a new study found.
Christina A. Samuels, December 23, 2016
2 min read
Assessment College Board Makes it Easier for Students With Disabilities to Get Accommodations
Most students whose IEPs call for testing accommodations will have those same accommodations approved when they're taking the SAT or Advanced Placement tests.
Madeline Will, December 2, 2016
2 min read
English-Language Learners ACT Offers First Accommodations for English-Language Learners
In a break from past practice, ACT Inc. has announced that it will begin offering accommodations for English learners.
Catherine Gewertz, November 14, 2016
3 min read
College & Workforce Readiness ACT Streamlines Accommodations System After Criticism for Denials, Delays
The testing company had come under fire for making it tough to get accommodations on its college-entrance exam, which many states require all students to take.
Catherine Gewertz, May 24, 2016
2 min read
Equity & Diversity Justice Department Eyes Accommodations on SAT, ACT
In some states, students with disabilities are required to take one of the college-entrance exams, but some can't get the testing accommodations they need.
Catherine Gewertz, February 24, 2016
1 min read
Education Justices Bolster Protection for Religious Accommodations in Employment
In a case watched by educators, the U.S. Supreme Court rules for a Muslim woman denied a job because she wore a head scarf.
Mark Walsh, June 1, 2015
3 min read