Special Education

Present Levels of Performance (PLAAFP) Examples by Area

By Pluma Team · October 21, 2026

TL;DR

The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) describe what the student can do now, with data, how the disability affects access to the general curriculum, and what the student needs next. Each area should include strengths, current performance with numbers, the impact statement and needs. Goals should grow directly out of these baselines.

In this article you will find

The parts of a strong PLAAFP
Good data sources
Reading example
Math example
Writing example
Behavior example
Communication example
Functional skills example
A quick quality check
Common mistakes
Team decisions and privacy

The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) describe what the student can do right now, backed by data, how the disability affects access to the general curriculum, and what the student needs next; every IEP goal should grow directly out of it. If the present levels are vague, the goals will be vague too. This guide shows the parts every PLAAFP needs, then gives examples for reading, math, writing, behavior, communication and functional skills, with the goal each one leads to.

The parts of a strong PLAAFP

Part	What to write	Example phrase
Strengths	What the student does well, academically and personally	“Jordan is curious, enjoys science and works well with a partner.”
Current performance (data)	Objective, recent numbers from more than one source	“On three fall probes, Jordan read 42, 45 and 40 words correct per minute on 3rd grade passages.”
Comparison	How that compares to grade-level expectations	“The published 50th percentile for fall of 3rd grade is about 83 WCPM (Hasbrouck & Tindal, 2017).”
Impact statement	How the disability affects progress in the general curriculum	“Slow decoding affects Jordan’s ability to read grade-level texts in all subjects.”
Needs	Skills to target next	“Jordan needs to improve decoding of multisyllable words and reading rate.”
Family input	Concerns and priorities from home	“Parents report Jordan avoids reading at home and wants to read chapter books.”

Some states use different names (PLEP, PLOP, PLP) and forms, but the content is similar. Follow your state’s template.

Good data sources

Curriculum-based measures and progress-monitoring probes
District benchmark or screening results
Classroom work samples scored with a rubric
State test scores, when recent
Observations with counts or durations
Evaluation results from the school psychologist or related service providers
Family and student input

Use at least two sources for each area and date them.

Reading example

Strengths: Jordan has strong oral vocabulary and listening comprehension; he answers 4 of 5 questions correctly when 3rd grade text is read aloud. Current performance: On fall progress-monitoring probes, Jordan read a median of 42 words correct per minute on 3rd grade passages, with 88% accuracy. On a phonics survey, he decoded closed and silent-e syllables accurately but read 6 of 20 two-syllable words correctly. Impact: Jordan’s specific learning disability in reading affects his ability to read grade-level texts independently in reading, science and social studies, so he relies on read-aloud support. Needs: decoding multisyllable words; reading fluency.

Goal it leads to: By the annual review, given 3rd grade passages, Jordan will read 75 words correct per minute with 95% accuracy on 3 consecutive weekly probes. See more in our IEP goals for reading fluency.

Math example

Strengths: Ava understands place value to 1,000 and can explain her thinking with base-ten blocks. Current performance: On a 2-minute timed probe of addition and subtraction facts within 20, Ava answered 18 of 40 correctly (median of 3 probes). She solves two-step word problems correctly in 2 of 10 attempts, usually choosing the wrong operation for the second step. Impact: Ava’s disability affects fact retrieval and multi-step problem-solving, which slows her progress with grade-level multiplication and word problems. Needs: fact fluency within 20; strategy for two-step word problems.

Goal: Given two-step word problems at the 3rd grade level, Ava will use a problem-solving checklist to solve 8 of 10 correctly on 3 consecutive probes.

Writing example

Strengths: Malik tells detailed stories orally and has a strong sense of humor in his writing. Current performance: In 4 writing samples, Malik wrote an average of 3 sentences in 15 minutes. He scored 1 of 4 on the organization row of the grade-level rubric. About 60% of his sentences begin with a capital letter and end with punctuation. Impact: Difficulties with handwriting and organizing ideas affect Malik’s ability to complete written assignments in all subjects. Needs: organizing ideas before writing; writing complete sentences; written output.

Goal: Given a graphic organizer and a prompt, Malik will write a paragraph of at least 5 sentences with a topic sentence and conclusion, scoring 3 of 4 on the organization row in 4 of 5 samples.

Behavior example

Strengths: Sofia is kind to younger students and participates eagerly in hands-on activities. Current performance: Over 10 days of observation, Sofia left her assigned area without permission an average of 6 times per day, mostly during independent writing. ABC data suggests the behavior helps her escape tasks that feel too hard. Impact: Leaving the area reduces Sofia’s instructional time by about 40 minutes per day and affects her progress in reading and writing. Needs: requesting a break appropriately; tolerating independent work for longer periods.

Goal: During independent work, Sofia will request a break using a break card instead of leaving her area in 4 of 5 opportunities across 4 consecutive weeks. For the full process, see FBA vs BIP.

Communication example

Strengths: Eli uses 3–4 word phrases to request preferred items and greets familiar adults. Current performance: According to the speech-language pathologist’s observations, Eli initiates communication with peers fewer than 2 times per 30-minute play period. He answers “what” questions about a picture in 7 of 10 trials and “why” questions in 2 of 10 trials. Impact: Limited expressive language affects Eli’s participation in group discussions and peer play. Needs: initiating with peers; answering “why” questions.

Goal: During structured play, Eli will initiate a communication exchange with a peer at least 4 times per 30-minute session, across 3 consecutive sessions.

Functional skills example

Strengths: Grace follows a picture schedule for morning arrival with one adult prompt. Current performance: Grace completes 4 of 8 steps of the arrival routine independently. She needs hand-over-hand support for zipping her coat and unpacking her folder. Impact: Dependence on adult support during routines reduces independence and peer interaction at the start of the day. Needs: independence with arrival routine.

Goal: Using a picture task analysis, Grace will complete 7 of 8 steps of the morning arrival routine independently on 4 of 5 days.

A quick quality check

Read your draft and ask:

Could a new teacher understand exactly what the student can do today?
Is every need backed by at least one number?
Does each area say how the disability affects learning in the general curriculum?
Would the family recognize their child in it?

If the answer to any question is no, revise before the meeting.

Common mistakes

No numbers. “Struggles with reading” gives no baseline.
Old data. Last year’s state test isn’t a present level.
Only weaknesses. Strengths help the team plan and show the family their child is seen.
Missing impact statement. IDEA requires explaining how the disability affects involvement in the general curriculum.
Goals that don’t match. A goal measured in rubric scores needs a rubric baseline.
Labels and jargon. Write so the family can understand it.

Team decisions and privacy

These examples are for drafting practice. The IEP team, including the family, reviews and finalizes the present levels and goals. Store evaluation data and present levels only in your district’s official system, and don’t enter real student names or identifying details into AI tools.

Once you have strong present levels, writing measurable goals is much easier; our guide on how to write IEP goals walks through the formula. For the full IEP cycle, behavior support and data collection, see our special education teacher resources.

FAQ

What is a PLAAFP in an IEP?

PLAAFP stands for Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance. It's the section of the IEP that describes the student's current skills with data, how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum, and the student's strengths and needs. Some states call it PLEP or PLOP.

What should be included in present levels of performance?

Strengths, current performance with objective data (scores, percentages, rates), how the disability affects the student's progress in the general curriculum, parent input and concerns, and the student's needs. Data should be recent and come from more than one source.

How do present levels connect to IEP goals?

Every annual goal should match a need identified in the present levels and use the same measure as the baseline. If the PLAAFP says the student reads 42 words correct per minute, the reading fluency goal should also be measured in words correct per minute.

Who writes the present levels?

The case manager usually drafts it, with input from general education teachers, related service providers, evaluation results and the family. The IEP team reviews and finalizes it at the meeting.