Distinguish between accommodations and modifications in assessment.

• A. Accommodations adjust how a student learns or is tested by changing expectations.
• B. Modifications adjust how a student learns or is tested without changing expectations.
• C. Accommodations are identical to modifications.
• D. Accommodations adjust how a student learns or is tested without changing expectations; modifications change the learning expectation or task.

Answer: (D)

This question is about how to ensure a student can access assessment without altering what they’re expected to demonstrate. Accommodations adjust the way the test is given or the way the student demonstrates knowledge, but they do not change the actual expectations. For example, providing extra time, read-aloud support, a scribe, quiet testing space, or assistive technology lets the student show what they know without changing the goal of the assessment.

Modifications, in contrast, change the task or the level of learning expected. They involve a different assignment or a simpler version of the test that reflects a modified goal or criterion.

So, the best statement is the one that says accommodations adjust the method without changing expectations, while modifications change the learning expectation or task. The other options misstate this distinction by suggesting accommodations change expectations or that accommodations and modifications are identical.