Present levels (PLAAFP)
The present levels statement is where the rest of the IEP comes from. If it says what the student does now, with numbers, every goal has a baseline and every service has a reason. If it says the student "struggles with reading," nothing after it can be measured.
These guides walk through each part: current data and where it came from, strengths, how the disability affects access to the general curriculum, and the needs that become goals. They include example statements by area, from reading and math to behavior, communication and daily living.
Start here
- Present levels of performance (PLAAFP): what to include, with examples
Present levels of performance (PLAAFP) explained: the four parts, what the law asks for, six short examples by area and the goal each one supports.
How-to guides
- Capturing parent concerns in the IEP
How to capture parent concerns in the IEP: questions to ask, examples written in the parent's words, and one family followed from phone call to final plan.
- From evaluation scores to present levels that drive goals
Turn standard scores and percentiles from an evaluation into present levels with classroom baselines, using a worked grade 5 reading example.
- How to write a PLAAFP, step by step
How to write a PLAAFP in eight steps, with the time each takes and one fictional fourth grader followed from scattered records to a finished statement.
- Present levels for English learners with IEPs
How to write present levels for an English learner with an IEP: report English proficiency by domain, home language skills and disability needs.
Examples
- Functional performance present levels examples
24 functional performance present levels examples for self-care, school routines, safety, health, functional academics and home skills, each with data.
- Impact statement examples: how the disability affects learning
24 IEP impact statement examples showing how a disability affects involvement and progress in class, each weak version rewritten with the data behind it.
- PLAAFP examples for reading
16 reading PLAAFP examples from kindergarten to high school, each with the weak version, the data behind the rewrite and a note on what makes it strong.
- Present levels examples for behavior
12 behavior present levels examples with an operational definition, counts or minutes, the pattern from ABC data, what helps and the replacement skill.
- Present levels examples for executive functioning
Twenty-four executive functioning present levels examples with weak and strong versions, the baseline data behind each, and how to take an EF baseline.
- Present levels examples for math
12 math present levels examples, from counting to equations and money, each shown weak and rewritten with the probe data behind it and a template link.
- Present levels examples for OT and fine motor
20 OT present levels examples for grasp, handwriting, visual motor, keyboarding, self-care and sensory needs, each with weak and strong versions and data.
- Present levels examples for preschoolers
Twenty-four preschool present levels examples, weak and strong, built from play and routine data, plus how to take a preschool IEP baseline.
- Present levels examples for social-emotional needs
Sixteen social-emotional present levels examples, each shown weak and strong, with the observation data behind it and a note on what makes it work.
- Present levels examples for speech and language
20 speech therapy present levels examples for articulation, language, pragmatics, fluency, voice and AAC, each with weak and strong versions and the data.
- Present levels examples for writing
16 writing present levels examples covering spelling, sentences, mechanics and composition, each with a weak version, the data behind it and why it works.
- Present levels for transition-age students
20 transition present levels examples for education, employment, independent living and self-determination, each tied to transition assessment data.
- Student and family vision statement examples for the IEP
Twenty-four IEP vision statement examples from preschool to high school, each shown weak and strong, with what makes it work and a frame to write your own.
- Writing student strengths as observable performance
20 student strengths for IEP examples rewritten from vague praise into observable performance, with the data behind each and how it becomes a support.
Comparisons
- Weak vs strong present levels: before-and-after rewrites
Bad present levels examples next to strong rewrites, with a side-by-side table, one deciding question and three classroom scenarios with the fix explained.
Checklists
- PLAAFP data sources checklist
A printable checklist of the data sources present levels draw from, sorted before, during and after drafting, with the regulation behind each item.
Templates
- Parent input form for the IEP
A free parent input form for your child's IEP: eight short sections, a filled-in example, and notes on what the team uses from each answer.
- PLAAFP template with sentence starters
A fill-in PLAAFP template with sentence starters for each section, a completed fictional example for written expression, and notes on what readers check.
- Student input survey for the IEP
A student input survey for the IEP in two versions, grades K to 5 and 6 to 12, with a completed grade 8 example and notes on using each answer.
Explainers
- How present levels connect to goals, services and accommodations
Follow one student's writing need from present levels to goal, services, accommodations and progress reports, with an alignment check and state rules.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn your goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.