Summary of performance template and examples

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A summary of performance (SOP) is the document a student receives when special education ends at graduation with a regular diploma or at the age limit. It sums up academic achievement and functional performance and recommends how to help the student reach their postsecondary goals. A strong SOP uses current data, lists the accommodations that worked and is readable by a college or employer.

When a student's eligibility ends because they graduate with a regular diploma or pass the age limit, the school does not have to reevaluate. It must give the student a summary of their academic achievement and functional performance, with recommendations on how to help them meet their postsecondary goals.^[1] That summary is the SOP.

The SOP is the one special education document written for people outside the school: a college accessibility office, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, an employer the student chooses to tell. Write it for that reader. This page gives a template, 16 annotated example entries across its sections, weak and strong versions, and the path from present levels to the SOP. Students and numbers are fictional. For where the SOP fits in the exit year, see the exit IEP meeting guide and the pillar on transition planning in the IEP.

Summary of performance template

Many states publish their own SOP form. If yours does, use it. If not, these sections cover what the regulation asks for and what receiving agencies tend to look for.

Section	What goes in it
1. Student information	Name, date of birth, exit date, exit type (diploma or age limit), disability category, date of last evaluation
2. Postsecondary goals	The goals from the final IEP, in education or training, employment and independent living
3. Academic achievement	Current levels in reading, math and writing with test names, dates and scores, in plain words
4. Functional performance	Work habits, self-advocacy, communication, daily living, health and mobility as they apply
5. Accommodations and supports	What the student used, how often, and whether it worked
6. Recommendations	Specific supports for each postsecondary goal setting
7. Student perspective	The student's own view of strengths, needs and what helps
8. Attachments and contacts	Recent evaluation reports, agency contacts, who to call with questions

Academic achievement examples

1. Reading, college-bound. "On the state grade 11 reading test in spring 2028, Maya scored in the 'approaching' range. On grade 12 classroom texts she reads with 96% accuracy but needs about 1.5 times the usual time. With text-to-speech she answers 85% of comprehension questions correctly; without it, 70%." Strong because it gives the effect of the accommodation in numbers.
2. Reading, functional. "Lina reads 120 sight words used at work and in the community, including safety words. She uses picture supports for recipes and schedules." Strong because it describes what she reads, not a grade level.
3. Math. "Marcus solves multi-step problems with whole numbers and decimals using a calculator, with 90% accuracy on applied problems from his automotive course. Algebra remains hard: he passed algebra 1 with a C after 2 attempts." Strong because it ties math to his training area.
4. Writing. "Jordan writes organized 5-paragraph essays using a graphic organizer and speech-to-text. Without these, his essays average 2 paragraphs and score 2 of 6 on the school rubric; with them, 4 of 6."

Translate standardized scores. "Standard score 78" means nothing to an employer. "About the 7th percentile, which means reading takes him longer than most peers" does.

Functional performance examples

5. Work habits. "Across 2 semesters at a grocery store placement, Theo arrived on time for 46 of 48 shifts and met the store's stocking rate after 6 weeks. He needs a written task list when the routine changes."
6. Self-advocacy. "Priya explained her accommodations to each of 6 teachers this year without help. She has not yet requested an accommodation in a new setting without an adult present."
7. Communication. "Sam uses a speech-generating device to request, comment and answer yes and no questions. Unfamiliar listeners understand him best when they wait 10 seconds for his reply."
8. Daily living. "Ellie dresses and eats independently and uses the toilet with a reminder every 2 hours. She needs help with fasteners and cutting food."

Strong because each entry says what the student does, how often and under what conditions.

Accommodations and supports examples

9. Testing. "Extended time (1.5x) and a separate room on all tests since grade 9. Maya used both on 100% of eligible tests and her scores rose about 10 points with them on the state practice test."
10. Instruction. "Copies of class notes and a recorder for lectures. Jordan used notes in 4 of 6 classes and found the recorder unhelpful."
11. Work. "Picture task list and a timer at work. Theo uses the task list daily; the timer was stopped after 3 months because he no longer needed it."
12. Assistive technology. "Text-to-speech on a laptop and a phone app. Owned by the student; set up on both."

Strong because each entry says whether the support worked, so the next setting does not start from zero. That last point matters: the student should know which accommodations to request.

Recommendations examples

13. College. "Register with the accessibility services office before the first term. Request extended time on tests, text-to-speech access to course readings and notes from lectures. Meet an advisor before choosing more than 12 credits."
14. Employment. "Ask the employer for a written task list and a check-in with the supervisor in the first 2 weeks of any new job. Contact the state VR agency for job placement help; Theo applied in March 2028."
15. Independent living. "Continue cooking and money practice at the adult day program. Lina is ready to learn to use a debit card with a set weekly limit."
16. Student's own recommendation. "I work best when someone shows me the job first and then lets me try. Please don't stand over me." Strong because it is the student's voice, and adult services can use it directly.

Weak and strong versions side by side

Weak	Strong
"Reading is below grade level."	"Reads grade 12 texts with 96% accuracy but needs 1.5 times the time; scores 85% on comprehension with text-to-speech."
"Student needs accommodations."	"Request extended time on tests and text-to-speech for readings; both used since grade 9 and both helped."
"Good worker."	"On time for 46 of 48 shifts; met the stocking rate after 6 weeks; needs a written list when routines change."
"Follow up with agencies."	"Applied to state VR in March 2028; counselor contact attached."

From present levels to the SOP (PLOP to SOP)

The SOP is not a new evaluation. It pulls from the work already done. Most of it comes from three places:

1. The final present levels. The academic and functional statements are the starting point for sections 3 and 4. Rewrite them in plain words for an outside reader. The transition present levels examples show the data you want there.
2. Progress data from the last year. Recent goal data shows what the student can do now. Use the most recent numbers.
3. Transition assessments. Interests, work samples and self-ratings go into functional performance and recommendations. See the transition assessments list.

Start the SOP in the fall of the exit year, not in May. Let the student write section 7 and review the draft. Templates such as write own input for the summary of performance and explain own summary of performance make that a goal. More goals for the final year are on the postsecondary education goal page.

College accessibility offices and adult agencies set their own documentation rules, and the SOP may not be enough on its own. The OSERS transition guide notes that students should find out what documentation postsecondary programs require.^[2] Attach the most recent evaluation to be safe.

Frequently asked questions

Who gets a summary of performance?

Under federal rules, a student whose special education eligibility ends because they graduate with a regular diploma or exceed the age limit for services. Some states give one in other exit situations too. Check your state's rules.

When should the summary of performance be written?

Federal rules do not set a date. Most teams draft it in the fall or winter of the exit year and finalize it at the last IEP meeting, so the student has it before they apply to college, adult agencies or jobs.

Is the summary of performance enough to get accommodations in college?

Not always. Each college sets its own documentation rules. Some accept a recent IEP and summary of performance; others ask for a recent evaluation. The student should contact the accessibility services office early and ask what it needs.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.305: Additional requirements for evaluations and reevaluations, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities (August 2020), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative, NTACT:C

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.