ven in 2025, a stigma remains when it comes to students who require accommodations and/or supports to succeed at school. 504s and IEPs (Individual Education Plans or Programs) are commonly used—but not as commonly talked about—resources for neurodiverse students, as well as students with mental illnesses and disabilities. But what are they and what do they do? And what could happen under President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education, the governmental agency assigned with protecting and providing for students of all abilities?
To start, a 504 plan is a list of accommodations allowed under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to protect students with disabilities and offer them an equitable opportunity to education. The Rehabilitation Act is a federal law passed in 1973 that forbids discrimination in any setting that receives federal funding. According to The Arc Minnesota, “Section 504 applies to students in any educational setting from preschool through college, including adult education.” Every 504 plan is different and tailored to each student’s individual needs, but the basic use of 504s is a list of accommodations that do not drastically modify a teacher’s lesson, such as extra time on assignments, preferential seating and providing a quiet testing room for assessments. Everyone’s 504 accommodations are different and different things are permitted for different diagnoses.
More detailed and specific to special education than a 504 plan is an IEP. The University of Washington states, “An Individualized Education Plan (or Program) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child with an identified disability who is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services.” IEPs are similar to 504s in some ways, like being free of cost to a student’s family and detailing a list of accommodations—however, IEPs are more direct and in-depth and common in special education environments.
Despite these decades-long practices being ubiquitous at nearly every public school in America, pushback can occur from parents, administrators or even teachers and peers. On the surface, the various components of a given plan may seem unfair or require a lot of work to provide, but when implemented correctly while still keeping data privacy in consideration, they can be hugely important.
“At times it is simply because people do not realize that although both may look similar, have similar modifications or accommodations for the students, or even be used by some almost interchangeably, they are different,” CHHS Health teacher Mr. Darin Luehrs said. “While there are some important differences between the two, both are very important to the students in need. Those in the know realize how essential they really are for students as they aim to provide equal access to educational opportunities.”
To further illustrate the distinction between these two kinds of plans, it’s important to know that some accommodations that can be put on IEPs cannot be put on 504s, like special accommodations allowing spell check software or small group or one-on-one instruction. This is to safeguard against some of those aforementioned concerns like perceived “unfairness” or workload inequalities, as an IEP also indicates that a student is wholly or partially enrolled in special education classes and/or provided with special education services by special education teachers. Another big difference is that IEPs typically include measurable goals to help students in a special education environment improve upon their skills with the aim of progress being made during the student’s time at the school, while 504s do not.
“The goal of a 504 plan is to ensure that students can be successful in school and looking at ways we can support that success,” CHHS Social Worker Ms. Caitlin Whitney said. “[These] are specific to the individual student, so the accommodations may look different to everyone. Here at CHHS, the social workers manage and write all of the 504 plans. Plans are reviewed each school year to make sure that we are meeting the best needs of the student.”
Whether student needs will continue to be met with helpful tools like IEPs and 504 plans remains to be seen. While Trump cannot officially shut down the Department of Education without Congress’s approval, he can and already has severely cut funding. For now, the department will still enforce civil rights such as those provided by these kinds of plans, but it is still unclear how far funding cuts will go and when or if it will eventually affect special education services at the school level.
For now, 504s and IEP plans are intact as they are handled at the state and district levels, and Minnesota Governor (and former educator) Tim Walz has made clear his intentions of supporting schools, though unfortunately, transportation services for special education students have been offered as a potential place to cut in order to reduce spending and balance the budget. The best anyone can do right now as the legislative session’s end looms is to help break the stigma by talking about how and why IEPs and 504 plans are important to students and their academic success.w
