What a great line - from Special Ed e-News at the Special Ed Connection.
e-News advises that in the panic to write the IEP, cover all the necessary goals, objectives, benchmarks (if applicable), and figure out how to accurately measure progress, the PLOP (present levels of performance) often gets neglected.
If you are into acronyms, the PLOP is known now as the PLAAFP. The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance provide baseline information about your child’s knowledge and skills. Present levels are the starting point for setting IEP goals and measuring progress toward these goals.
Here’s what IDEA 2004 says about the PLAAFP…
The IEP must include...“a statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance…including how the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum;…” 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)
The term “performance” describes what your child can do. The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance in the IEP describe what your child knows and is able to do. Present levels describe your child’s unique needs that result from his disability. They include your child’s strengths and the areas that are challenging.
Before writing IEP goals for your child, you and other members of the IEP team need to know the measurable starting point for his knowledge or skill level. This is his present level of academic achievement.
Functional performance describes your child’s skills in daily living activities—social skills, mobility skills, employment skills, and skills that increase his independence.
Present levels (what your child can do) include baseline data from objective tests such as educational achievement tests.
How can you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you started?
If the present levels are accurate, current, and comprehensive, based on objective test data, you will be able to see your child’s needs clearly. You will know his strengths and weaknesses and able to write measurable goals that will address his needs.
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Tags: Goals and Objectives · IEPs · Measurable Goals · Present levels of performance11 Comments
VA Action Alert!
11 responses so far ↓
HOW DO YOU GET A GOOD PLOP IF SCHOOL ONLY USES THEIR OWN INFORMATION AND OBSERVATIONS
What is a parent to do to get a good PLOP? How can this objective be achieved if they aren’t mandated to include private testing and results? How can a PLOP be accurate if the school won’t include parent observations and medical diagnosis to get a complete picture of the student? Even if they don’t use this diagnosis as reason to qualify the child ,shouldn’t they be required to document this information? Especially if they are using this information to provide accommodations and modifications?
Hi,
Who can observe my child at school for re-evaulation? Tried to change ASD kid’s criteria from DD to autism at school. During the reevaluation process, in order to be fair, I requested if I could use some of my people to observe my kid. Minimum 3 20 minutes observations were required, they said. They declined my request to use my friends due to the reason that they are not educators. meanwhile, when i asked them to use the 3rd party company with BCBA certified, the school said no again. They said it was just observation; what they see what they write down.
Please advise
Is there a police to use educators only for observations?
If you disagree with their re-evaluation, you can always request an IEE (independent educational evaluation). It is a right guaranteed by IDEA. You simply write and tell them you disagree with their evaluations and that you are requesting an IEE. If you search the wrightslaw site, you’ll find much more info on IEE’s.
When did PLEP change to PLOP?
Lisa-
The PLOP - PLEP - is now the PLAAFP.
IDEA 2004 - 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)
The IEP must include…“a statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance…including how the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum;…”
We are drowning in blame and really need some help! Our kid has reading, writing, and math disabilities. We have a lovely IEP…on paper! The school keeps doing things that aren’t really revising it, but for example, having a para provide services instead of a special educator. Our kid gets frustrated when things aren’t understood and sometimes refuses to work due to not understanding the material. The school SAYS they are providing services, but the services don’t meet out kid’s needs. We are stuck in a stalemate “he said, she said” between the school saying they are doing things (even they aren’t the things that are needed for success) and us saying the services aren’t working. They keep blaming Kiddo for “not trying, refusing to work, being rude.” We have an advocate but need more help NOW!
In our school district, the handbook for Psychologists, located on the district web site clearly states that schools should not give parents the permision to evaluate form until the hearing and vision screening.
Parents can request in writing that specific tests be done. ie if a prerent suspects tha their child has AS, they can request in writing that the school do the ADOS. To expedite the testing process, the written request could include permission to administer the test and include the date of the written reqeust.
If the child does not qualify as a child with Autism, the parents can use an independent eval to request that the child be served under the classification of OHI (Other Health Impared)..
Regardless of classification the IEP needs to include specific goals and specific timelines based on current performance levels.
Frances,
Your input has to be taken into consideration for the IEP, if your information is not in the PLOP you should be sure it is at least noted in the parental educational concerns/input or in the documentation of evaluation results (e.g. functional performance for behavior, and outside diagnosis under health). Any outside medical conditions should also be noted under and health sections in the IEP. As a school psychologist I mainly address parent info in those sections. At times the info is useful in the PLOP, but often given the academic nature of some goals home info may not be relevant. I would certainly pursue it with your school if home behavior information is ignored in functional goals.
Sun,
Check out your districts policies on having outside observations or visits to the classroom. Some districts specifically address this issue in their policy. If they have no policy then I would point that out to them. In cases where parents have requested outside observers or therapists to come in for an evaluation, my district has generally complied but always co-observed or re-tested to verify any outside results. If the school will not allow you to have outside observers in addition to their own, do not sign the consent as you disagree with what they are doing for reeval. If necessary you may need to request an independent eval at public expense. Requesting BCBA certified personnel may be pushing it as there are competent observers without that cert e.g. school psychs etc.
What is the law on the school providing tutoring? We are about to pay out a lot o money for reading tutoring for our 3rd grader, because our shool that is ranked excellent with distinction has told us they don’t know how to help him. Shouldn’t they have to come up with proven methods that an be measured to help him? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
I did not sign our IEP because they set my 3rd graders goals for state standards for end of 3rd grade. I just won against the school for services and now need to write a new IEP. he is reading at a 1st grade level. Should the goals be written at an attainable level? For instance if he is reading at a 1.6 level now the goal should be a 2.6 by the end of the year? or something to that effect. The same concern for math. Am I understanding this right? or do you use state standards? Please advise. The goals are the hardest part to understand. I have the new IEP book and still feel unsure about this one question.