Some Louisville parents say their children took this fall's iReady test without the supports written into their plans. The test maker's own guide lists those supports and says educators decide.

If your child's IEP or 504 plan lists testing accommodations, start with the plan, not the test. Federal special education rules say an IEP must include "a statement of any individual appropriate accommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on State and districtwide assessments," under 34 CFR 300.320. Jefferson County Public Schools gives iReady to all K through 8 students this school year as its reading and math screener and diagnostic.

JCPS has not published iReady accommodation guidance for families on any page JCPS Insider found by October 11, 2026. So the question for most parents is narrow: what does your child's plan say about testing, and did the school follow it?

What does iReady allow for students with an IEP or 504 plan?

The test maker supports most common testing accommodations, but a teacher has to turn some of them on. Curriculum Associates' iReady Inform accessibility and accommodations guide, dated July 2026, sorts help into three groups. Universal supports are on for every student. Designated supports are chosen by an educator. Accommodations are for students "in accordance with their IEP, 504, and/or English learner plans."

Accommodations the guide lists as available outside the screen include a human reader, a scribe, a calculator, a human signer, a multiplication table, screen readers, and "extended time breaks and flexible scheduling."

Read aloud is the one parents ask about most. The guide says read aloud for grades 6 and up math items, and for reading items without built in audio, "must be turned on/off by educators," at the class, group, or student level. It also says iReady reports "will indicate whether read-aloud support was made available to a student." That is a record you can ask the school to check.

The guide also says the test has an untimed administration and that "a paper version does not exist."

Who decides which accommodations my child gets on iReady?

Your child's IEP team or 504 team does, not the software company. The guide says, "IEP teams and other educators within the school determine which accommodations a student receives." It also tells educators to follow "their state and district policies."

In Kentucky the IEP team is called the Admissions and Release Committee, or ARC. You are a member of it.

What if the school said the test was a "baseline"?

No JCPS policy JCPS Insider found says accommodations can be dropped because a test is a baseline. One parent in a local Facebook group reported hearing that explanation secondhand; JCPS Insider has not verified it. If you hear it, ask the school to put the reason in writing and name the district guidance it is following.

A score taken without the supports in your child's plan may not show what your child knows. You can ask the school whether the test can be given again with the plan's accommodations, and how the first score will be used.

Who do I call in JCPS?

Start with your child's teacher and the ARC chair or the school's Section 504 chairperson. Ask in writing which accommodations were provided during the fall iReady test, whether read aloud was turned on, and what happens next.

If that stalls, go to the district offices. These contacts were printed on JCPS pages checked October 12, 2026:

The Exceptional Child Education page lists 502 485 8500 and ece@jefferson.kyschools.us.

The Contact ECE page lists Jackie Williams, executive director of Exceptional Child Education, at 502 400 9348.

The Section 504 page lists 502 485 6290 and ece.504@jefferson.kyschools.us.

If you think the plan itself needs clearer testing language, ask in writing for an ARC meeting or a 504 meeting. Our IEP and 504 comparison covers which plan your child has.

Where can I file a complaint outside JCPS?

For an IEP, the Kentucky Department of Education takes formal written complaints. The form says the violation cannot be more than one year before KDE receives the complaint, the form must be signed and dated, and it must name the child. KDE's complaint form lists 300 Sower Blvd., 4th Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601, and 502 564 4970. Send a copy to the district.

For a 504 plan, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights takes discrimination complaints. Under 34 CFR 100.7, which applies to Section 504 cases, a complaint must be filed "not later than 180 days from the date of the alleged discrimination," unless that time is extended.

Before you file, email the school this week and ask for the accommodation settings used on your child's fall iReady test. Keep the reply.