Whether your school calls them PLOPs or PLAAFPs, the present levels of performance page indicates your student’s current level of success. With so much data and so many options of what to include, it can be challenging to narrow it down. So, what should you include on the PLOPs page?
Veteran teachers from around the country shared what they write on their PLOPs pages to give you a better idea of what is appropriate to include. Take a look at their answers below and make a list of what you’re missing or would like to also include. Make your next PLOP page one that’s comprehensive and paints an accurate picture of a child’s progress.
What to Put in the Present Levels of Performance Page
Some schools or districts may have guidelines for what they want teachers to include in the PLOP, so always check with your special education coordinator before starting your first PLOP. For those with more freedom to add information, the suggestions below may enrich your PLOP writing and help you create a document that genuinely reflects your student’s growth.
1 – Statements About How the Student is Performing in All Subject Areas
A one or two-sentence statement about the student’s performance in all of their subject areas is helpful to include. It creates an overall picture versus one that’s confined to one subject.
2 – Statements About How the Student is Performing in Speech, OT, etc.
In addition to the statements about how a student is performing in academic areas, the progress being made in support services is also essential to include.
Write one or two sentences to describe the progress being displayed in each of these areas as well.
3 – Statements About How the Disability Affects the Student’s Classroom Performance
It’s important to show progress, but it’s also vital to show how the student’s disability impacts his or her learning in the classroom.
This creates a realistic, broad picture of how learning is being affected and gives clues as to how those barriers can be addressed.
4 – A Comparison to Typically Developing Peers
A brief comparison of the student’s development and progress to typically developing peers creates a benchmark of what is considered the norm for students of that age. It helps identify the gap and creates the opportunity to bridge it as much as possible.
5 – Insight into Social-Emotional Development
Looking at the child in a holistic manner means understanding where he is emotionally and socially, as well as academically. A few sentences about the student’s social and emotional growth is equally as important as the descriptions of his academic progress.
6 – Numerical Data
Depending on your district, there may be room for including numerical data. Past and current test scores, class grades, attendance records, etc. are typically included in the numbers section of a Present Levels.
This is also where you might add in your data points from any progress reports previously sent home.
7 – Current Goals
Many Present Levels include a listing of the student’s current goals and where he is in terms of meeting them. This is usually stated as a percentage and is presented as quantitative data only with no opinions included.
8 – New Goals
Some Present Levels include the student’s new goals for the current IEP. It’s important to note here that you should be including baseline data for skills within areas of need that IEP goals may be written for.
- Stuck on writing new IEP goals? Check out our free IEP goal bank here and our IEP Goal Writing Formulas here.
9 – Strengths/Weaknesses
The Present Levels should also include the student’s strengths and weaknesses, both in an academic area and in social/emotional areas as well. The more information the better.
Don’t forget to keep the wording strength’s based and student-centered.
10 – Classroom Teacher’s Assessment
A paragraph or more from the classroom teacher describing her observations and opinions of the student’s work habits, strengths, weaknesses, and growth are also helpful in creating the big picture.
This information can be taken verbatim at the IEP meeting, or you can add it in based on information shared in the input form sent out prior to the IEP meeting.
- Not sure when to send out input forms or to whom? Check out our free IEP Writing Timeline here.
Not feeling confident with what to include in the Present Levels? Check out IEP Meeting Toolkit that comes with a Present Levels Template that will make your teacher life much easier.
What do you include in your Present Levels? Share anything that was missed in the comments below. We would love to hear what your district includes!
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