504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TESTING FREE

504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TESTING FREE

What rights does section 504 provide for students?įree and Appropriate Education in the Least Restrictive Environmentįederally funded schools must provide a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to all students who have a disability. A student’s 504 plan will provide accommodations that allow a student with an impaired major life activity to have the same level of access to the instruction, school activities, and school building as students without disabilities. However, a student with a 504 plan requires accommodations in order to gain equal access to instruction and/or the school facility. Unlike a special education student, a student with a 504 plan is able to make effective progress in school without the need for specialized instruction and/or related services. In order to be found eligible for special education services and an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a student must be diagnosed with a disability and must, as a result of that disability, require specialized instruction and/or related services in order to make effective progress. How is a 504 plan different from special education? Students may be eligible for a 504 plan if a temporary disability limits a major life activity. The disability must substantially limit one or more major life activities. The student must have information establishing a mental, psychological, and/or physical disability (including a disability affecting behavior) and In order to be eligible for a 504 plan, a student must attend a school that receives federal financial assistance (which includes all public schools in Massachusetts).

How does a student qualify for a section 504 plan? Section 504 requires consent from the parents before conducting evaluations. In addition, the district must believe that the student needs additional supports in the regular education classroom in order access the curriculum. Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, and learning. The 504 plan process may be started by a parent’s written request or the school’s referral for an evaluation when the student is having academic, social, or behavioral problems that limit one or more major life activities. This includes school-sponsored non-academic and extracurricular services and activities.

Students who qualify for a 504 plan must be given the opportunity to receive any help, benefit, and services and participate in activities that are available for students without disabilities.

Section 504 ensures that a student with a disability has equal access to education by requiring that schools provide accommodations for the student. Section 504 is a section of a federal civil rights law, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, that prohibits discrimination by federally-funded institutions, such as public schools, against individuals with disabilities.

504 plan accommodations for testing