Present levels examples for executive functioning

"Disorganized," "unfocused" and "poor executive functioning" are the three most common phrases in this part of an IEP. None of them can be measured, and none tells the next teacher what to do. A good statement replaces each one with a count, a time or a record from the student's actual school day.

Below are 24 examples, grouped by skill. Twenty are written out with a weak version, a strong rewrite and a note on what makes it strong. The last four are quick rewrites in a table. If you are new to the section as a whole, read the present levels of performance guide first.

All names and numbers are fictional. They show the format, not expected levels for any grade.

What executive function present levels need

Executive function covers the skills that let a student hold information in mind, shift between tasks and hold back an impulse long enough to plan.^[2] In school these show up as starting, organizing, planning, staying with work, remembering steps and checking one's own work.

The IEP must describe present levels of academic achievement and functional performance and how the disability affects progress in the general curriculum.^[1] For executive function, that means each statement should answer four questions:

• What task, and where? A long-term project in English is not the same as a worksheet in resource.
• What number? Seconds, minutes, assignments turned in out of assigned, steps done out of total, entries in a planner.
• What already helps? A checklist, a timer, a first-step card, an adult nearby.
• What does it cost the student? Missing grades, lost materials, unfinished tests, adult help that others do not need.

Taking an executive function baseline

An executive function baseline is the student's current performance on one defined skill, taken the way the goal will be measured. Most EF skills fit one of five methods.

Take at least three probes on different days and report the median. Gradebook data is a good start for completion, but check it: a zero can mean "not done," "done and lost" or "done and never turned in," and those are three different problems. The baseline data guide covers the probe routine step by step.

Starting work

1. Starting a writing task, grade 6

Weak: "Celeste has trouble getting started."

Strong: "Across 5 ELA writing periods in October, Celeste took a median of 9 minutes (range 6 to 14) from the end of directions to writing her first sentence. On the 2 days the teacher gave her a sentence starter, she began in under 2 minutes. She finishes about a third of in-class writing tasks. Celeste needs to start a writing task on her own using a first-step plan."

What makes it strong: It reports latency with a range and identifies the support that shortens it. The template to start an open-ended task with a first-step plan fits directly.

2. Starting a long-term project, grade 10

Weak: "Emeka procrastinates."

Strong: "For 4 long-term assignments in fall semester (2 to 3 weeks each), Emeka opened his first document or notes a median of 1 day before the due date, based on document history in the class platform. He scored a median of 58% on those projects and 84% on short in-class tasks in the same courses. Emeka needs to begin a long-term assignment within 2 school days of receiving it."

What makes it strong: Document history is an objective record the school already has. The comparison of project and in-class scores shows the gap is starting, not content. See start a long-term assignment within two days.

3. Moving to the next task, grade 4

Weak: "Juniper waits for the teacher to tell her what to do."

Strong: "During 6 independent work rotations in September with a 3-item task list, Juniper finished the first item each time but started the second item on her own only once. She waited a median of 5 minutes for an adult prompt. She uses a visual schedule well at home, per her parents. Juniper needs to move to the next task on her list after finishing one."

What makes it strong: It separates finishing from moving on, so the goal targets the right step. See move to the next task on the list.

Finishing and turning in work

4. Homework return, grade 7

Weak: "Basil never turns in homework."

Strong: "The gradebook shows Basil turned in 11 of 32 homework assignments (34%) from September 1 to October 15. When checked at his locker on 5 days, 6 of the missing assignments were finished and in his backpack. He does turn in work that is collected at the door. Basil needs a routine to move finished homework into the turn-in pocket and hand it in."

What makes it strong: The locker check shows the work exists, which changes the goal from finishing to turning in. The percent has a clear denominator. See move homework to the turn-in pocket.

5. Classwork in a co-taught class, grade 8

Weak: "Zara doesn't finish her work."

Strong: "In 10 co-taught science classes in October, Zara completed a median of 55% of the items on in-class assignments by the end of the period. She completed 90% or more when the co-teacher checked in at the 10-minute mark. Accuracy on items she finished was 85%. Zara needs to finish classwork in the general education setting with fewer adult check-ins."

What makes it strong: Accuracy on finished items rules out a skill gap. The check-in at 10 minutes is a support the team can plan to fade. See finish classwork in a co-taught class.

6. Recording unfinished work, grade 9

Weak: "Milo loses track of what he owes teachers."

Strong: "When asked on 6 days in October to list his missing assignments, Milo named a median of 1 of the 5 to 8 listed in the gradebook. He keeps no planner. He knows how to read the online gradebook when shown. Milo needs to record unfinished work and when he will finish it at the end of each class."

What makes it strong: It measures awareness of missing work against an objective list. See record unfinished work and when it will be finished.

Organizing materials

7. Coming to class prepared, grade 6

Weak: "Anika is unprepared for class."

Strong: "Over 15 class periods in October, Anika arrived with all 4 required materials (binder, pencil, book, device) in 5 periods. The item most often missing was her device, left in her locker. On the 4 days she used a materials list taped inside her locker, she had all items each time. Anika needs to check a materials list before leaving for each class."

What makes it strong: It counts items against a defined list and names the most common miss. See check a materials list before the next class in the organization goals.

8. Backpack and binder, grade 5

Weak: "Kai's desk and backpack are a mess."

Strong: "On 5 weekly backpack checks in September, Kai's backpack held a median of 14 loose papers, 9 of them more than two weeks old. He found a requested worksheet within 1 minute on 1 of 5 tries. When an adult helps him sort on Fridays, he finds papers within 1 minute on most tries the following Monday. Kai needs to keep a backpack that holds only current materials."

What makes it strong: "Mess" becomes paper counts and retrieval time. Both can be measured again. See keep a backpack with only current materials.

9. Digital files, grade 11

Weak: "Delilah can't find her files."

Strong: "When asked on 4 occasions in October to open a specific assignment from her school drive, Delilah took a median of 4 minutes, compared with under 1 minute for two peers asked the same way. Her drive has 230 files in one folder with default names. She reorganized one course folder with a model and found its files within 30 seconds afterward. Delilah needs to name and file documents by course and unit."

What makes it strong: A peer comparison sets a reasonable target, and the one-course trial shows the strategy works for her. The organization goals include digital examples.

Planning and time management

10. Weekly planning, grade 9

Weak: "Oscar has poor planning skills."

Strong: "Oscar was asked to plan his week in a paper planner on 4 Mondays in September and October. He listed a median of 2 of 6 due dates and scheduled no work sessions. He completed 3 of 9 assignments due those weeks on time. When he copied due dates from the class platform with an adult, he listed all of them in under 10 minutes. Oscar needs to write a weekly plan that includes due dates and work sessions."

What makes it strong: The plan itself is the product, scored against a checklist. See write a weekly plan that schedules work sessions in the planning goals.

11. Studying for tests, grade 8

Weak: "Simone doesn't study."

Strong: "Before 3 unit tests in fall, Simone was asked to write a study plan. She wrote 'study' on one day each time, with no tasks listed. Her test scores were 52%, 60% and 48%. On a quiz she prepared for with a teacher-made study guide, she scored 78%. Simone needs to create a written study plan with specific tasks on at least 3 days before a test."

What makes it strong: It ties the plan to outcomes and shows that structure changes the result. See create a written study plan for a test.

12. Estimating time, grade 7

Weak: "Arjun has no sense of time."

Strong: "On a homework log kept for 2 weeks in October, Arjun estimated a median of 10 minutes per assignment. Actual times ranged from 25 to 70 minutes, with a median of 40. He often starts large assignments after 9 p.m. He is accurate within 5 minutes on tasks he does every day, such as his reading log. Arjun needs to estimate task time within 10 minutes of the actual time."

What makes it strong: The estimate and the actual time sit side by side, so the gap is a number. See keep an estimate versus actual homework log in the time management goals.

13. Passing periods, grade 6

Weak: "Bea is always late."

Strong: "Attendance records show Bea arrived late to class 19 times in September, 15 of them after her locker stop between periods 2 and 3. Timed on 4 days, the locker stop took her 6 to 9 minutes of a 4-minute passing period. She arrives on time to every class with no locker stop. Bea needs to complete her locker stop within the passing period."

What makes it strong: Records point to the exact transition, and timing shows how far off she is. See complete the locker stop within the passing period.

Attention and staying with work

14. Independent reading time, grade 3

Weak: "Felix can't focus during reading."

Strong: "During 6 independent reading periods of 15 minutes in October, Felix read his book for a median of 4 minutes before getting up, changing books or talking to a peer. When he chose from 3 books on a favorite topic, he read for a median of 9 minutes. Felix needs to read a chosen book for longer periods during independent reading."

What makes it strong: Duration is the natural unit, and the choice condition gives the team a support. See read a chosen book for a set time.

15. Lecture and note-taking, grade 10

Weak: "Nico zones out in class."

Strong: "In five 20-minute history lectures observed with momentary time sampling at 1-minute intervals, Nico was looking at the speaker, slides or his notes in a median of 45% of intervals. Using a fill-in note frame on 2 of those days, he was engaged in 75% and 80% of intervals and filled in 9 of 12 blanks. Nico needs to stay engaged in lectures using a note-taking frame."

What makes it strong: It names the method and the interval, so the percent means something. The note frame is the support the goal can build on. See interval recording and stay engaged in a lecture with a note frame.

16. Phone checks, grade 11

Weak: "Ivy is on her phone too much."

Strong: "In six 50-minute English classes in October, Ivy checked her phone a median of 14 times during instruction, counted by the teacher with a tally. On the 2 days she put the phone in the class caddy at the start, she asked for it back once. Her quiz average in English is 61%. Ivy needs to reduce phone checks during instruction using a self-chosen strategy."

What makes it strong: A simple frequency count gives a clear baseline, and the caddy trial shows one option. See reduce phone checks during class.

Working memory and multi-step directions

17. Written directions, grade 5

Weak: "Jasper doesn't follow directions."

Strong: "On 8 assignments in October with 3 to 4 written direction steps, Jasper completed a median of 2 steps. He most often skipped steps after the second one, such as 'show your work' or 'circle the answer.' When he underlined each action word first, he completed all steps on 3 of 4 assignments. Jasper needs to complete each step of written directions."

What makes it strong: It counts steps done out of steps given, and names which steps drop out. See complete each step of written directions in the multi-step directions goals.

18. Copying from the board, grade 4

Weak: "Rosalind has poor working memory."

Strong: "On 5 board-copying tasks of 4 to 6 sentences in September, Rosalind left out a median of 6 words per task. She looks back at the board after every one or two words. When given a printed copy on her desk, she copied with 0 to 1 omissions. Rosalind needs to copy from the board without leaving out words, or use a near-point copy as an accommodation."

What makes it strong: It shows the problem is distance and memory load, not spelling. The statement also names an accommodation the team should weigh against a goal. See copy from the board without omitting words.

19. Remembering procedure steps, grade 8

Weak: "Tariq forgets the steps in math."

Strong: "On 4 probes in October, Tariq solved a median of 3 of 10 two-step equations correctly without a reference card. With the class anchor chart in view, he solved 8 of 10. He can state the first step but not the second when asked. Tariq needs to recall and state the steps of a procedure using a taught mnemonic."

What makes it strong: The comparison with and without the reference shows exactly what working memory adds. See state procedure steps using a mnemonic in the working memory goals.

Self-monitoring, flexibility and impulse control

20. Checking work before turning it in, grade 7

Weak: "Wynn makes careless errors."

Strong: "On 6 math assignments in October, Wynn made a median of 4 errors per assignment that she corrected within 1 minute when an adult pointed to the problem. She turned in every assignment without looking back at it. On a self-rating of on-task behavior, her ratings matched the teacher's on 3 of 10 days. Wynn needs to check finished work against a checklist before turning it in."

What makes it strong: "Careless" becomes self-correctable errors, which is what a checking routine targets. The self-rating match adds a monitoring baseline. See the self-monitoring goals and self-rate on-task behavior.

Quick rewrites

These four use the same approach in short form. The student is unnamed.

Matching templates: begin the next activity after a change, reduce call-outs while tallying, pace a timed test using checkpoints and shift from a preferred topic.

Mistakes that weaken EF present levels

• Listing a diagnosis instead of performance. ADHD or an executive function weakness on a rating scale explains why. It does not tell the team what the student does now.
• Counting completion without checking why work is missing. Not started, not finished, finished and lost, and not turned in each need a different goal.
• Reporting only with full support in place. If an adult checks in every 5 minutes, say so. Otherwise the baseline looks better than independent performance.
• One big "organization" goal for five skills. Pick the one or two skills with the largest cost to the student and measure those.
• Forgetting the accommodation question. Some EF needs are better met by an accommodation, such as a printed copy of notes, than by a goal. Say which in the statement.

From present levels to goals and progress data

The number in each statement becomes the goal's baseline, measured the same way all year. Graph it every week or two so the team can see the trend, not just the latest score.^[3] For goal wording by skill, see executive functioning IEP goals and task initiation goals. Paste each draft into the goal checker before the meeting.

When the main concern is engagement in class, the on-task behavior goal guide shows how to define and measure it. For daily living and school routines that look like EF but are functional skills, see functional performance present levels.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Executive function IEP goals
• Task initiation goal templates
• Organization goal templates
• PLAAFP in the IEP glossary
• Baseline in the IEP glossary
• Latency data sheet
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• Present levels of performance (PLAAFP): what to include, with examples
• Functional performance present levels examples
• Present levels examples for behavior
• How to write a PLAAFP, step by step
• Present levels examples for math
• Present levels examples for writing

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2. A Guide to Executive Function, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
3. Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.