Catching missing IEP accommodations before they affect a student and addressing them immediately.
At a glance
When: A required accommodation isn't in place and the activity is starting.
Remember: An accommodation is a legal entitlement, not a favor. Flag repeated misses so the gap is visible.
What strong practice looks like — and why.
The scenario you saw
A student's IEP includes extended time on tests, but the general education teacher didn't set it up today. The test is starting in two minutes. What do you do?
Before you read on — what would you do here? Picture your move, then reveal how strong practice handles it.
You catch it before it becomes a problem — a quick, quiet word with the teacher is all it takes and the accommodation is in place before the student even realizes there was an issue.
Why this works
An IEP accommodation is a legal entitlement, not a favor — so the two weak moves are quietly giving extra time off the books (which the team can't see or rely on) and letting the student go without it. The strong move is to get it formally in place, early and discreetly, so it's handled before the student even notices a problem. Catching it before the test starts protects both the student's right and their dignity; flagging it rather than improvising also surfaces the pattern if the accommodation keeps getting missed.
What to look for
Recall is where it sticks — a few quick scenarios.
Reading is useful, but recall is where it sticks. Three short scenarios, low-stakes, no scoring — about 3 minutes. You can stop any time.
Start the practice set →Short on time? Start with the first one.
You support a student with a 504 plan — and 504 is *not* a smaller IEP; it's a different law with different protections.
IRIS Center (Vanderbilt)
Full IRIS module on what accommodations are, how to implement them, and how to catch when they're missing.