What is the correct description of accommodations and modifications?

• A. Modifications change curriculum
• B. They are the same
• C. Accommodations change content while maintaining the same assessment
• D. Accommodations change how students learn and are assessed but the learning is the same grade level

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is the difference between accommodations and modifications in how learning and assessment are handled. Accommodations change the way students learn and are assessed without changing the actual content or the grade level. In practice, you’re still aiming for the same learning goals and the same material at the same grade level, but you provide supports or alternate formats so the student can demonstrate that knowledge. For example, giving extra time, using assistive technology, or having material read aloud are accommodations, because the task remains the same content and grade level, just accessed differently.

Modifications, on the other hand, change what is being learned or demonstrated. They reduce or alter the curriculum or expectations, so the content is simplified or different from the standard. That’s why modifying would not describe keeping the same grade-level content or goals.

So the description that accommodations change how learning happens and how it’s assessed while the learning remains at the same grade level best fits.