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Definition:

Interventions are targeted instructional strategies or programs designed to address specific academic, behavioral, or social-emotional challenges that students are experiencing. They are usually short-term, data-driven supports provided in tiers of increasing intensity to help students make progress toward grade-level expectations.

Tier 1: Core Instruction – Strong, differentiated teaching practices that are offered to every student in the classroom.

Tier 2: Targeted Interventions – Extra support in small groups or focused lessons for students who are still working toward key skills and concepts.

Tier 3: Intensive Interventions – Personalized, one-on-one or highly specialized instruction for students who need much greater support than what Tiers 1 and 2 provide.

Who it may apply to:

Interventions can be provided to any student who is struggling to meet grade-level expectations in both general and special education settings. They support a wide range of learners, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), those with behavioral challenges, and students considered at risk.

Examples of Interventions:

Small-group reading intervention focusing on phonics.

Behavior contract with rewards for meeting daily goals.

Math fact fluency practice using timed drills.

Specific Practice: Self-

Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is a six-step, evidence-based intervention that helps students, particularly those with specific learning disabilities, build both writing skills and self-regulation skills. The process moves from teacher-led support to gradual fading of supports, so students can eventually apply the strategy independently. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/EvidenceSnapshot/680

HLP 10 – Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) –

An FBA is an essential process that views all behavior as communication and seeks to understand its function. Through data collection methods such as observation, interviews, and record reviews, educators identify triggers, sustaining consequences, and the purpose behind a student’s behavior. This information guides the development of an individualized Behavior Support Plan (BSP), which focuses on teaching replacement skills, using positive reinforcement, and promoting appropriate behaviors across settings. Collaboration with colleagues and families ensures the plan is consistent and effective (Lewis et al., n.d ). HLP10 - FBAs - YouTube

Learn more:

Go to, What is instructional intervention?, to learn more about interventions. You will find that this website shares deeper examples of what intervention instructions look like. It also talks about how to combine interventions with accommodations, such as a classroom environment that gives students equal access to learning.

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An instructional intervention is a specific program or set of steps schools use to help students improve in an area of need, like reading or math. Learn more.

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Definition:

Differentiation is an instructional approach where teachers adjust content, process, products, or the learning environment to meet students’ diverse readiness levels, learning styles, interests, and strengths. The purpose is to ensure that all learners can access the curriculum and work toward the same standards through different pathways. This may include using reading materials at varied levels of complexity, offering text-to-speech or vocabulary supports, and incorporating hands-on manipulatives. Worksheets and activities can also be adapted so each student’s needs are effectively addressed.

Who it applies to:

Differentiation is a general education practice that addresses the wide range of learner needs, including students who excel, those who need additional support, English language learners (ELLs), and students with disabilities. Its purpose is to make instruction both accessible and meaningful for every student, no matter their readiness level, learning style, or background. While it benefits all learners, differentiation plays a vital role in inclusive classrooms where students with varied strengths and challenges learn together. By tailoring instruction, teachers ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed (IRIS Center., n.d.).

Examples of Differentiation:

Content differentiation- this means that reading materials will be provided at different levels.

Process differentiation- this allows students to learn through different methods, such as small group, hands-on activities.

Product differentiation- giving students options to show what they learned. For example, writing an essay, creating a poster, or giving an oral presentation.

Specific Practice:

HLP #13: Make Adaptations-

Teachers will assess the students' needs and adapt the tasks and materials. This could be from using technology for classes, reducing the academic content, giving the information, and adjusting how the directions are given. This is done for students with different levels and works toward the same instructional goal (Council for Exceptional Children., n.d.). Watch this video on how adaptations to the curriculum tasks for specific learning goals can be supportive of students with disabilities. HLP #13: Make Adaptations | High-Leverage Practices

According to the IRIS module, differentiating instruction involves adjusting not just what students learn (content), but how they learn (process) and how they show what they know (product), taking into account learners’ readiness, interests, and learning preferences. Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students

Learn more:

Go to, What Is Differentiated Instruction? | Reading Rockets

This website is tailored for instruction to help meet students’ needs with different content, processes, and learning environments. There are many examples for teachers to use in their classroom.

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Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.

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Definition:

Accommodations are changes to instruction, materials, or assessments that give students access to grade-level content and allow them to demonstrate what they know without lowering the academic expectations. These supports, such as extra time, larger print, or oral directions, help students learn and show their understanding while still working toward the same grade-level goals as their peers.

Who it applies to:

Accommodations are changes to instruction, materials, or assessments that allow students to access grade-level content and show what they know without lowering academic expectations (National Center for Learning Disabilities [NCLD], 2017). Common supports include extra time, larger print, or oral directions, which help students participate meaningfully while still working toward the same grade-level goals. Accommodations apply to a variety of learners, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), and those needing temporary support due to health or other circumstances (NCLD, 2017). By providing access without changing standards, accommodations promote equity and ensure all students can demonstrate their learning.

Examples of Accommodations:

Assistive technology (text-to-speech software, speech-to-text tools, calculators, or audiobooks).

Extended time on assignments, putting the assignment into smaller and more manageable parts for the student.

Have visual aids and organizers such as graphic organizers, charts, schedules, and checklists.

Specific practice:

HLP 16: Use Explicit Instruction-

HLP 16 demonstrates its four key components through classroom examples. It highlights the importance of sequencing lessons logically, modeling and explaining content clearly, offering multiple opportunities for response with feedback, and using a variety of examples and nonexamples to strengthen understanding.

Watch this video to learn more, HLP #16: Use Explicit Instruction | High-Leverage Practices.

Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students (Parent Center Hub) – Explains the difference between accommodations and modifications, lists types of supports, and shows how classroom activities can be adapted to individual needs. Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students - Center for Parent Information and Resources

Learn more:

Go to Accommodations, Techniques and Aids For Learning – Learning Disabilities Association of America, to learn more about how accommodations, techniques, and aids can help with a student’s learning. This article talks about students who have memory problems and how to help them be successful with their academics.

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Quad Cities - Down syndrome achievement center

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Jennifer Parsons, MS/CCC-SLP, Program Manager GiGi's Playhouse Quad Cities

It is that dreaded time of the year again... ASSESSMENT TIME!

Legislation in most states require all students be tested at least once a year, if not more often. Therefore, testing accommodations and modifications must frequently be made to meet student needs. But sometimes it is difficult to tell, is this an accommodation or a modification? Here is a short break down to help us understand!

Accommodations: this is an adjustment to an activity or setting that removed a barrier presented by disability, so students may have equal access to the same opportunities available to student without a disability. These are typically listed in the IEP (Individual Education Plan) or 504 plan. There is NO LIMIT to the range of accommodation to list on an IEP. Accommodations create changes in environment or administration of testing, but not the content of instruction. An educator is legally bound to provide them, because they allow equal access.

Here are some common Accommodations for testing:

Extra time to complete test

Read test directions aloud.

Repeat test directions as needed.

Ask student to repeat directions in his or her own words.

Have student highlight key words in the directions and/or questions.

Allow the student to take the test in a small group setting.

Allow the student to take the test individually.

Allow student to mark his/her answers directly on the test.

Provide frequent breaks.

Break up testing into several sessions.

Read specific part of the test to the student.

Allow the student to answer orally instead of writing the answers.

Modifications: also known as alterations, can be made to the test, curriculum or homework. This happens when either the content or the way it is administered is altered.

Here are some common Modifications for the classroom:

Complete fewer or different homework problems than peers

Write shorter papers

Answer fewer or different test questions

Create alternate projects or assignments

Learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication while classmates move on to fractions)

Get graded or assessed using a different standard than the one for classmates

Be excused from particular projects

It is best practice that any accommodation or modification in testing be consistently followed in the classroom on a daily basis and it is important that we do not over accommodate our students.

I hope this information clears up some lingering questions on accommodations and modifications. There is a ton of information online, so please look around. My advice is that you make sure that you look in your specific state. Some states are different than others!

Until next month my amazing friends!

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Accommodations vs. Modifications - What is the difference? - Quad Cities - Down syndrome achievement center

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Jennifer Parsons, MS/CCC-SLP, Program Manager GiGi's Playhouse Quad Cities

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Definition:

Adaptations are when there are changes to the instruction, materials, and assessments that allow students with disabilities or other learning challenges to access the curriculum. This is different from modifications; adaptations do not change learning expectations, but it does adjust how the students can learn or demonstrate what they know.

Who it applies to:

Adaptations are used to support students who need extra help accessing and participating in the general education curriculum. They can be helpful for students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), or those who face challenges with language, processing, or other learning needs (IRIS Center, n.d.). By adjusting how lessons are taught or how students respond, adaptations make grade-level material more accessible without changing the overall learning goals.

Examples of Adaptations:

Give directions both verbally and in written form to strengthen student understanding.

Incorporate visual aids like charts, checklists, or graphic organizers to support learning.

Permit students to respond orally on assessments as an alternative to written answers.

Specific Practice:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)- A research-supported framework that offers practical guidance for creating inclusive learning environments and instruction, ensuring that all students, no matter their background, abilities, or learning differences, can participate, comprehend, and demonstrate their knowledge in meaningful ways. CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines

HLP 15: Provide Scaffolded Supports- Scaffolding provides short-term assistance that enables students to succeed with tasks they are not yet able to do independently. Teachers choose and adjust supports, such as visuals, prompts, or written cues, based on student performance and gradually fade them as skills improve. These supports may be intentionally planned ahead of time or offered in the moment during instruction. HLP #15: Use Scaffolded Supports | High-Leverage Practices

Learn more at:

The Easy Adaptations for the Home or Classroom resource (University of Nevada, Reno) shares simple, low-cost strategies to support students with sensory or motor challenges, such as using non-slip materials, zipper pulls, or slant boards. Many adaptations can be used for home and school; this will help guide families and staff on how to help a student with these. Tips for Home or School | Easy Adaptations for the Home or the Classroom | Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project | University of Nevada, Reno

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Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students - Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Your Central Hub for Parent Centers Serving Families of Children With Disabilities

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Definition:

Modifications are adjustments to curriculum, instruction, or assessments that change the level or scope of what a student is expected to learn. Unlike accommodations or adaptations, which keep the learning goals the same, modifications adjust what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate.

Who it applies to:

Modifications are appropriate only for students with disabilities, including those with the most significant cognitive disabilities (CDC, 2024). They are typically provided to students who qualify under the IDEA Disability Categories, such as Intellectual Disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Multiple Disabilities, when grade-level expectations cannot be met even with accommodation or adaptations. Modifications are outlined in a student’s IEP to set individualized goals and adjust expectations so the student can experience success.

Examples of Modifications:

Reducing the number of test questions or assignments a student is expected to complete.

Providing reading materials at a lower grade level while still addressing the same theme or topic.

Simplifying the complexity of math problems (e.g., working with two-digit numbers instead of three-digit numbers).

Specific Practice:

HLP 12: Systematically Design Instruction Toward a Specific Learning Goal-

Focuses on intentionally designing lessons that target clear, measurable learning goals. Teachers are encouraged to organize instruction in a logical sequence and provide scaffolds that connect new skills to prior knowledge. This may include tools such as graphic organizers, guided practice, or step-by-step supports to strengthen understanding. By planning in this way, educators ensure that students are working toward specific outcomes with the right level of support to succeed. Watch this video, HLP #12: Systematically Design Instruction Toward a Specific Learning Goal | High-Leverage Practices

HLP 13: Adapt Curriculum Tasks and Materials for Specific Learning Goals –

Educators assess the unique needs of individual students and adapt curriculum tasks and materials to ensure that instructional goals are attainable. These adaptations may include selecting resources aligned with student needs, integrating appropriate technologies, and modifying tasks by emphasizing essential information, clarifying directions, or reducing the volume of material. Furthermore, teachers make deliberate decisions regarding the prioritization of essential curriculum elements, the design of tasks that are both meaningful and goal-oriented, and the establishment of clear criteria for measuring student success (IRIS Center, n.d.; McLeskey et al., 2017). https://highleveragepractices.org/

Learn more:

This article outlines how accommodations and modifications differ, provides practical examples, and clarifies for parents and educators when and why modifications might be needed. Both accommodation and modifications allow students to do their best work. But they mean very different things for a child’s education. To read more on this, go to this website: The difference between accommodations and modifications

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By Andrew M.I. Lee, JD

At a glance

An academic modification is a change to what a student is taught or expected to do in school.

An example of a modification is less homework or easier assignments.

Before using a modification, it's often better to try changing how a child learns, or try using a different teaching strategy.

School can be a challenge for kids with IEPs and 504 plans. And when they struggle, one possible response is to give them less schoolwork or simpler assignments. This is called an academic modification. A modification is a change to what a student is taught or expected to do in school.

While modifications can make school easier for kids, they can have serious drawbacks. Watch an expert explain more about modifications.

All public schools have academic standards for what kids are expected to learn in each grade. These apply to reading, math, and other subjects. For instance, third graders are usually expected to learn multiplication.

Modifications change these expectations. They're typically used when a child has trouble keeping up in school.

Take a third grader with math challenges who hasn't mastered addition. A school may offer a modification that keeps the child working on addition, while the rest of the class moves on to multiplication. Or the child could have fewer test questions or less homework. (See other examples of modifications.)

Modifications are controversial. It's true that they can make school less of a struggle for students, including kids who learn and think differently. But the result may be that kids learn less than their peers. They may fall behind on important skills. Over time, this can put them at a big disadvantage.

Dive deeper

Deciding whether to use a modification

Alternatives to modifications

Tell us what interests you

About the author

About the author

Andrew M.I. Lee, JD is an editor and attorney who strives to help people understand complex legal, education, and parenting issues.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Melody Musgrove, EdD served as director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education.

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An academic modification is a change to what a student is taught or expected to do in school. An example of a modification is less homework or easier assignments. Before using a modification, it's often better to try changing how a child learns, or try using a different teaching strategy.

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(SDI)

Definition:

Specialized Designed Instruction (SDI) involves adjusting what is taught, how it is taught, or the strategies used to ensure a student with a disability can access and make progress in the curriculum. It is personalized to the learner and directly aligned with the goals and services specified in the student’s IEP.

Who it Applies to:

SDI applies specifically to students who qualify for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This includes students in any of the 13 IDEA disability categories (e.g., Specific Learning Disability, Autism, Emotional Disturbance, Traumatic Brain Injury, etc.). Only students with an IEP are eligible to receive SDI.

Examples of SDI:

A student with dyslexia participates in structured phonics lessons that explicitly teach decoding skills.

A student with autism develops social skills by engaging in guided role-play scenarios during instruction.

A student with ADHD learns math by applying problem-solving strategies that are introduced through teacher modeling and supported with guided practice.

Specific Practice:

HLP 14: Teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and independence-

Focuses on helping students learn how to think about their own thinking, and how to plan, monitor, and adjust their learning processes. The four key principles for implementing cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction, along with examples of teachers applying these principles, are drawn from a real classroom. HLP #14: Use Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies | High-Leverage Practices

HLP 12: Systematically Design Instruction Toward a Specific Learning Goal:

This is done when teachers break learning into manageable steps and plan targeted instruction that aligns with the student's IEP goals. This will help students process the new information step-by-step. There are three components to systematic instruction. The three components are measurable learning goals, sequenced lessons, and structured learning.

Systematic_Instruction_Script.pdf

Using the ACCOMPLISH model for goal setting
The Admin Guide describes using the ACCOMPLISH model to craft high-quality learning goals:

Antecedent condition (when, where, under what circumstances)

Conspicuous behavior (what the student does)

Clear criteria (how well, with what accuracy)

Observable

Measurable

Positive

Linked to general curriculum

Individualized

Socially valid

High-reaching (ambitious, yet attainable)

Learn more:

The DPI’s Specially Designed Instruction page is a state educational resource that explains how specially designed instruction (SDI) functions under Wisconsin law, including its role in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and the rights and responsibilities associated with SDI. Using a resource like the DPI page strengthens your work because it provides state-level legal context and demonstrates how SDI is implemented in real schools. Specially Designed Instruction | Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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It addresses their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals; accounts for their disability; provides modifications or adaptations to content; and encourages access to the general education curriculum.