The IEP is a federally mandated document. Although the format or template can vary, all IEPs must adhere to the requirements outlined by IDEA. Every public school student who qualifies to receive specialized instruction and related special education services will receive an IEP. The IEP outlines a number of things, including the student’s category of eligibility under IDEA; present levels of performance; performance goals; accommodations and modifications; parent’s input; assessment accommodations; least restrictive environment; and the services to be provided. The Present Levels section of the IEP should provide a rationale that supports the IEP team’s choices regarding student goals.
Based on the provided PLAAFP, outline the following for Dan on the “IEP Goals and Measuring Progress Template”:
2 of 3- Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance
(PLAAFP) Example Dan is a 10th grader who has a good sense of humor, and is accepted by his peers. Dan can successfully participate in the 10th grade math
curriculum without special education support. He does well in general education science and social studies, but needs help with independent reading and writing assignments. Dan experiences success when provided with an assignment notebook, reading of tests, reading support for long text passages assigned to be completed independently within a short time period, and assistance from a
peer or teacher for written assignments. Dan has difficulty with reading. He struggles
to apply decoding strategies to unfamiliar words when reading text. This affects his oral reading rate, which is slow and labored. Dan cannot independently read textbooks used in his10th grade classes as they are written at a very high reading level. Dan
accurately reads and comprehends 115 words per minute at the 6th grade level, his
independent reading level. His fluency in 10th grade passages is poor. He averages 65 words read correctly per minute with less than 75% comprehension. Students in 10th grade are expected to read passages with 90-100% comprehension at the rate of 120-150 words per minute. Dan demonstrates good listening comprehension. He understands academic content at grade level following large and small group instruction, and when text is read to him by a peer, staff, or computer-based text reader. He is able to report facts and make inferences from listening at a level expected of students in his grade. Dan also has difficulty with writing and following complex oral and written directions. When he does not understand what to do in class,
he generally picks up on cues from peers around him. Dan can successfully follow one- and two-step directions without support. However, when instructions are more complex, he sometimes needs help. This makes it hard for him to follow classroom activities and assignments. His written work contains many spelling errors, lacks necessary punctuation, and his sentences are generally short, 5-6 words in length. He
does respond well to peer or teacher pre-writing and editing assistance and is beginning to learn to use computer-based spell-checking and editing software. Dan’s parents are concerned about his reading and writing skills and believe he needs help
in these areas. They both work multiple jobs and are not at home much to help Dan with his homework. Dan’s grandparents also live in the home, but do not speak English.
Dan’s parents notice his difficulty in following directions. They are happy with his grades in math and that he has friends in school. (TEMPLATE ATTACHED)
