What is the difference between accommodations and modifications?

What is the difference between accommodations and modifications?

• A. Accommodations change the pace of learning, while modifications change the difficulty of the task.
• B. Accommodations apply only to tests; modifications apply only to assignments.
• C. Accommodations adjust how a student learns or demonstrates learning; modifications change the task or target outcome.
• D. Modifications adjust how instruction is delivered, while accommodations adjust assessment.

Answer: (C)

Accommodations adjust the way a student learns or demonstrates learning without changing the actual goal. They keep the same standards and outcomes, but provide supports that make the material accessible. For example, giving extra time on tests, allowing a calculator, using audiobooks, providing a scribe, or offering breaks—all of these let the student show what they know without altering what they’re being asked to learn. Modifications, in contrast, change what the student is expected to learn or demonstrate. They alter the task or the level of difficulty, so the outcome is different from what peers are aiming for. Examples include reducing the number of problems, simplifying the content, or substituting a task that targets a different objective. So the best description is that accommodations adjust how learning or demonstration happens, while modifications change the task or target outcome.

Accommodations adjust the way a student learns or demonstrates learning without changing the actual goal. They keep the same standards and outcomes, but provide supports that make the material accessible. For example, giving extra time on tests, allowing a calculator, using audiobooks, providing a scribe, or offering breaks—all of these let the student show what they know without altering what they’re being asked to learn.

Modifications, in contrast, change what the student is expected to learn or demonstrate. They alter the task or the level of difficulty, so the outcome is different from what peers are aiming for. Examples include reducing the number of problems, simplifying the content, or substituting a task that targets a different objective.

So the best description is that accommodations adjust how learning or demonstration happens, while modifications change the task or target outcome.