Navigating PLAAFP: Ensuring Comprehensive Student Records in IEPs
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Navigating PLAAFP: Ensuring Comprehensive Student Records in IEPs
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a cornerstone of special education in the United States, ensuring that children with disabilities receive appropriate public education tailored to their unique needs. At the heart of IDEA's provision is the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement, a tailored overview of each student's abilities, achievements, and challenges. Here's a peek into the pivotal role of PLAAFP, serving as a compass to navigate the educational journey of students with special needs.
What is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act?
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that ensures that children with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
- IDEA requires that public schools identify, evaluate, and provide special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities, from birth to age 21.
- IDEA also guarantees that children with disabilities and their parents have procedural safeguards to protect their rights and participate in the decision-making process.
What are present levels of academic achievement and functional performance?
- • PLAAFP statements should be clear, concise, and comprehensive, and should address the following areas: academic, functional, developmental, and behavioral.
- • PLAAFP statements should be based on objective data from multiple sources, such as assessments, observations, interviews, work samples, and progress reports.
- • PLAAFP statements are the foundation of the individualized education program (IEP), which is the legal document that outlines the special education and related services that a child with a disability will receive.
- • Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) are statements that describe a child's current abilities, skills, strengths, and needs in relation to the general education curriculum and environment.
What does IDEA say about present levels?
- • Therefore, the present levels statements must provide the baseline information that is used to develop the annual goals and to measure the child's progress toward those goals.
- • IDEA also specifies that the IEP must include "a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum" (34 CFR § 300.320(a)(2)(i)).
- • IDEA does not use the term "present levels" explicitly, but it does require that the IEP include "a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance" (34 CFR § 300.320(a)(1)).
What are some best practices for writing present levels?
- • Use consistent and coherent information that aligns with the other components of the IEP, such as the annual goals, the special education and related services, the accommodations and modifications, and the transition plan.
- • Use relevant and meaningful information that reflects the child's current needs and interests, and that relates to the child's participation and progress in the general education curriculum and environment.
- • Use data-based evidence that supports the statements and shows the child's progress or lack of progress over time.
- • Use specific and measurable terms that describe the child's performance in relation to grade-level standards and expectations.
- • Use positive and strength-based language that highlights the child's abilities and potential, not just the deficits and challenges.
- • Use plain language that is understandable to all IEP team members, including the parents and the child.
Where can I find more information and resources on present levels?
- • The IRIS Center is a national center that develops and disseminates free, online resources on evidence-based practices for educators and families of children with disabilities. You can access their website at https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/.
- • The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) is a national information center that serves as a central resource for parents of children with disabilities. You can access their website at https://www.parentcenterhub.org/.
- • The National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) is a technical assistance center funded by OSEP that supports states in improving outcomes for children with disabilities. You can access their website at https://www.wested.org/project/national-center-for-systemic-...
- • The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provides the official guidance and regulations on IDEA and its implementation. You can access their website at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html.
Hi, I Am Lisa Stewart M.Ed
The Dyslexic
Special Education Advocate
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