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1. EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN DIVISION The Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) and Measurable Annual Goals October 24, 2013

2. Common Errors in Writing Present Levels and Annual Goals • Overreliance on test scores from the initial and three-year special education evaluation. • Vague descriptions on how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. • Absence of appropriate baseline data for developing the PLAAFP and Annual Goal/s. Adapted from Delivering IEPs that Stand Up to the Law and Serve Students Better by Carol Kosnitsky, Jose Martin, Jan Tomsky.

3. Individualized Education Program (IEP) The term individualized education program or IEP means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in a meeting, and must include … NC 1503-4.1

4. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) (1) A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (i) How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum; or (ii) For preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child’s participation in appropriate activities;…

5. Academic Achievement • Academic achievement generally refers to a child’s performance in academic areas (e.g. reading, language arts, and math); or • For preschool children, age appropriate developmental levels.

6. Functional Performance • Functional performance generally refers to skills or activities that may not be considered academic or related to a child’s academic achievement. • Functional is often used in the context of routine activities of everyday living and are varied depending on the individual needs of the child. • Functional performance can impact educational achievement.

7. The PLAAFP Must be… • Current • Relevant • Objective • Measurable • Understandable

8. Major Components of PLAAFP • Data-based student specific information related to current academic achievement and functional performance. • Strengthsof the student. • Needsresulting from the disability. • Effects of the disability on involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.

9. Data-Based Student Specific Information • Use objective measurable terms when writing the PLAAFP. • Data from the child’s evaluation is one source of such information. • Test scores that are pertinent to the child’s diagnosis might be included, if appropriate. • Scores should be self-explanatory. If not, an explanation must be included.

10. Data-Based Student Specific Information Note: A variety of sources must be documented. • Current and relevant formal evaluation data; and/or • Classroom and curriculum-based assessments: • Observations and supporting anecdotal records, • Work samples, • Progress toward last year’s goals, • Concerns of parents, • Student’s desired school/post-school outcome goals, and • Input from related services providers.

11. Strengths of the Student • Reflect specific skills or behaviors the student has mastered. • Reflect specific skills in which the student performs well for the domain or area targeted.

12. Needs Resulting from the Disability Needs are determined by consideration of… • The important skills and behaviors that are critical for the student to learn in order to be able to participate and make progress in the general curriculum.

13. Needs Resulting from the Disability Special factors: • Needs are addressed through goals, supports and services, and/or accommodations.

14. Effects of the Disability The PLAAFP… • Describe how the disability impacts the student’s involvement in the general curriculum. • Convey the unique challenges or barriers that exist for the student as a result of the disability. • Describe the current levels of independence and any need for assistance.

15. The PLAAFP answers … • Where does the child stand in terms of academic and functional performance? • How does the child’s disability affect his/her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum ?

16. General Curriculum Expectations/Considerations What do I want to know— • state/district standards expectations? • regular classroom and grade level expectations? • instructional strategies or approaches used or being used in the general classroom? • social/emotional expectations at this grade level? • extracurricular activities or events a part of school life for students at this grade level?

17. Connecting IEPs to State/District Standards Means… • Referring to standards to determine expectations at grade level • Using the standards as a guide to determine what is important for the student to learn or be able to do • Conducting an analysis to determine the gap between grade expectations and student’s current skills/knowledge

18. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance Case Study of Kara

19. Kara Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance Based on a review of curriculum-based measures and data collected from teacher observations, given one minute to read a 4th grade passage, Kara reads 48 words correctly (70% accuracy). Given a 3rd grade passage, Kara reads 50 words correctly (80% accuracy). She is able to read basic sight words and uses picture clues to identify words in a text. She decodes simple one syllable words with short vowels but has difficulty reading words with multiple syllables. She fails to use word attack strategies to read unknown words in a passage. Kara’s oral reading is below beginning 4th grade reading level. Therefore, she has difficulty reading 4th grade level material independently. Due to these reading deficits, Kara has difficulty completing assignments independently in reading, math, science, and social studies. Her independent work is often incomplete and inaccurate. `

20. Reads sight words, one syllable words and uses clues from pictures Kara needs to use word identification strategies to decode multi-syllabic words She has difficulty completing assignments independently in all content areas. Her work is often incomplete and inaccurate.

21. Activity 1Writing Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance

23. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance Critical Point… The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance are the cornerstone of the IEP. It is the source that drives other IEP components. It is the statement that links all components of the IEP together.

24. Measurable Annual Goals

25. The measurable annual goal is a statement that links directly to the areas of need identified in the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.

26. Measurable Annual Goals The Individualized Education Program must include… A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to- • Meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and

27. Annual Goals (B) Meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability; (ii) For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives. NC 1503-4.1

28. Measurable Annual Goals:Creating Standards-based IEP Goals • Students with disabilities assessed through modified achievement standards must have annual goals aligned to grade level content standards. • In NC, students in grades 3-8 who are assessed via the Extend 2 are subject to this requirement. NC 1503-4.1(a) (2)(iii)

29. Measurable Annual Goals The annual goals in the IEP are statements that describe what a child with a disability can reasonably be expected to accomplish within the duration of the IEP.

30. Measurable Annual Goals For each area needing specially designed instruction, determine the desired level of achievement or outcome for each goal for a student by considering the following: • Primary concerns stated in the present levels of academic achievement/functional performance. • Amount of time the student has left in school and the age of the student. • Skills needed to progress to the next level of performance. • Skills needed to achieve transition. • Behavior / skills that will improve with modifications.

31. Definition of Measurable • When compared to the data in the present level of academic achievement and functional performances, the goal contains specific expectations of attainment.

32. Characteristics of Measurability ? • Reveals what to do to measure whether the Goal has been accomplished. To measure something is to do something. • Yields the same conclusion if measured by several people. • A measurable goal allows us to know how much progress has been made since the last measured performance. • A measurable goal can be measured as written, without additional information. • Measurable goals contain givens (if necessary), the learner performance, and the criterion (level of performance to be reached).

33. Major Components of Measurable Annual Goals • Any important givens/conditions (when, with what, where)…as applicable. • A skill/domain area (academic, behavioral, functional). • An observable learner performance (what the learner will be doing, an action). • Measurable criteria which specify the level at which the student’s performance will be acceptable (e.g., speed, accuracy, frequency).

34. Measurable Annual Goals Criterion or Level of Performance (How well the learner must do) Frequently used examples of criteria: • 4 of 5 trials • 3 consecutive days • % accuracy

35. Measurable Annual Goals Observable means: • Clearly defined • Visible • Countable behavior

36. Measurable Annual Goals Examples of “observable” behavior • Reading orally • Dressing one’s self • Speaking to adults without vulgarities • Pointing, drawing, identifying, writing, etc.

37. Measurable Annual Goals Non-Examples of observable behavior • Becoming independent • Respecting authority • Enjoying literature • Improving, feeling, knowing, etc.

38. Kara Measurable Annual Goal Statements Goal 1 Given a 4th grade reading passage, Kara will accurately read 105 words or more per minute in 4 out of five trials. Goal 2 Given a 4th grade reading passage, Kara will independently read 4 – 5 syllable words with 95% accuracy.

39. Measurable Annual Goals Case Study of Kara

40. What do we Know about Kara’s Performance in Reading? Strengths Deficits Fluency rate is below level as compared to her grade level peers Has difficulty reading words of multiple syllables Fails to use word identification strategies to read unknown words Struggles with comprehension when reading text independently • Reads some basic sight words with success • Sometimes uses picture clues within the text to identify unknown words • Reads

43. Activity 2Writing a Measurable Annual Goal

44. Kara Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance Based on a review of curriculum-based measures and data collected from teacher observations, given one minute to read a 4th grade passage, Kara reads 48 words correctly (70% accuracy). Given a 3rd grade passage, Kara reads 50 words correctly (80% accuracy). She is able to read basic sight words and uses picture clues to identify words in a text. She decodes simple one syllable words with short vowels but has difficulty reading words with multiple syllables. She fails to use word attack strategies to read unknown words in a passage. Kara’s oral reading is below beginning 4th grade reading level. Therefore, she has difficulty reading 4th grade level material independently. Due to these reading deficits, Kara has difficulty completing assignments independently in reading, math, science, and social studies. Her independent work is often incomplete and inaccurate. `

46. Measurable Annual Goals “The IEP is the heart of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and measurable goals developed from appropriate present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, are the heart of each IEP” Bateman & Herr IEP

47. Benchmarks/Short-term Objectives For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, the IEP must include a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives; NC 1503-4.1(2)(ii)

48. Benchmarks and Short Term Objectives Once the IEP team has developed measurable annual goals for a child, the team can develop strategies that will be most effective in realizing those goals and must develop: • either measurable, intermediate steps (short-term objectives), or • major milestones (benchmarks) … to monitor progress during the year, and, if appropriate, to revise the IEP consistent with the student’s instructional needs.

49. Short-Term Objectives Short term objectives (also called IEP objectives) are: • measurable, intermediate steps between the present levels of educational performance of a child with a disability and the annual goals that are established for the child, and • developed based on a logical breakdown of the major components of the annual goals; and can serve as milestones for measuring progress toward meeting the goals.

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