Present Level in IDEA 2004

When IDEA was amended in 2004, many of the previous IEP requirements remained intact. However, some significant changes were made that affect the development of the present level of functional performance area (now referred to as the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance). Examples follow:

• Evaluation Results. In developing the IEP, the team must consider evaluation results, including the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the student. The IEP team also must consider the strengths of the student, the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child, and the results of the initial evaluation or most recent evaluation of the student. [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(3)(A)(i-iv)]
• Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance. Prior to 2004, this requirement was referred to as the present level of educational performance. In addition to changing the terminology, IDEA 2004 changed this requirement by providing that IEP teams will prepare a statement of the student’s Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance, including how the student’s disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. Best practice suggests that IEP teams will use objective data from multiple sources to develop the present level of academic achievement and functional performance statement. [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(I)(a,aa,bb,cc)]

Using Evaluation Results to Develop Effective Present Level Statements

IEP teams consider evaluation results when writing a student's Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance. Make sure that evaluation results provide:

• A variety of data sources, including performance on standardized achievement and diagnostic tests, progress on previous IEP goals and objectives (if available), classroom assessments and work samples, parent or guardian input, and other school-based information (e.g., attendance records, scores on large-scale assessments).
• Data sources that are reliable and accurate measures of the student's abilities.

Getting Started

Family and student interviews are particularly useful in answering the first two questions. In answering the third question, the IEP team typically looks to additional information--such as individually administered tests, classroom-based assessments, and other district data--that can be used to establish a baseline and accompanying goal for each area of education that is affected by the student's disability.

Every teacher knows that you cannot help students move forward in their learning unless you know where they are now – their strengths, their weaknesses and how they learn. And this, of course, is especially true for students whose disabilities can sometimes make learning a challenge in the general education classroom. That is why assessing a student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance is so essential for IEP teams who write IEPs.

But it is also a difficult skill to master largely because there are so many ways to assess a student’s present levels. How do you know which measures present the most accurate picture of the student so the IEP team can set appropriate goals and address his/her needs?

There are six common types of evaluation results you can use: 

Linking Evaluation Results to the Educational Performance Level Statement

Parent Concerns Guiding Questions

What are the parent’s concerns, expectation, and issues for their child?

Considerations

• Have you contacted the parents/ guardians regarding their concerns, expectations, and issues for this student?
• If parent(s)/ guardian(s) were not able to give input, what information have you had from parents in the past?
• Ensure that other parental input is included in the narrative response to this question.
• Consider asking the parents probing questions regarding academic, health, physical and behavioral skills.

Academic and Health Concerns

• What are your academic concerns for your child?
• What are your expectations for your child to perform at or on grade level?
• (If the child has a prior IEP) How do you/ can you support your child’s IEP goals? How do you/can you track progress on your child’s IEP goals?
• What are the vocational and/or job skills that you would like your child to attain?
• How do you think your child benefits from being in an inclusive general education class?
• Do you have any health concerns for your child?
• Do you have any physical concerns for your child?
• Do you have any behavioral concerns for your child?
• What additional opportunities for social skills do you feel your child needs?

Student’s Strengths Guiding Questions

What are the student’s strengths, interest areas, significant personal attributes, and personal accomplishments?

Considerations

• Have you asked the student, if appropriate, what his or her perceived strengths are?
• Have you asked the student, if appropriate, what his or her interests and personal accomplishments are?
• Have you asked all teachers that the student interacts with for input on strengths, interest areas, significant personal attributes, and personal accomplishments?
• What is known of this student as it relates to his or her learning style?
• What is known of this student as it relates to his or her communication style?
• What are your expectations for your child to perform at or on grade level?
• Consider asking open ended questions to elicit a student response, i/e., “If you had an hour to do anything you wanted, what would you do?”
• Ensure that you paint the most accurate picture of the whole child (beyond the disability).
• Ensure that you focus on student strengths.
• Consider: Would an “outsider” reading this narrative have a better understanding of who this child is?

K-12 Participation and Performance

How does the student’s disability affect his or her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum or participation in school activities?

Considerations (K-12)

• Include information that describes how the student is performing in different instructional situations.
• Include insights into problems the student is likely to encounter when participating in the general education curriculum, as well as what the student can do, so that the annual goals reflect what the student can achieve.

Define the “What” and the “Why”

1. Participation and Primary Disability

• Consider the parent concerns and expectations along with the student’s identified strengths, interests and personal accomplishments. How does this information affect the student’s disability and ability to access the general curriculum?
• What is the student's primary disability? How does the disability affect this student and contribute to the uniqueness of the student? How does this student’s disability impact his or her ability to access the general curriculum?  (Discuss each content area impacted)

2. Summary of Assessment Findings

• Review the Summary of Assessment Findings for all academic areas. Be sure to review all triennial assessments and state-based assessments, curricular-based assessments, classroom-based assessments, classroom observations, and samples of daily work. Use the aggregate of all information to develop a beginning understanding of the student’s current performance level. How does this impact the student’s ability to access the general curriculum?
• If this is not an initial IEP, review the student’s progress on the IEP goals from the previous year. How does this impact the student’s ability to access the general curriculum?

3. Present Level

• Analyze the curriculum to identify the critical gaps within a given academic area and standard. This gap can be determined within the curriculum by analyzing the difference between the student’s actual grade level and his or her present level of performance. It is critical that the Present Level narrative clearly state why this gap exists.
• When did you first start seeing academic or functional difficulties compared to the student’s age-related peers?
• What support(s) has the student received? Is there evidence of which supports have been effective? Are additional accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids (including assistive technology), related services, and/or interventions needed?
• How does this student interact with the curriculum and demonstrate knowledge compared to his or her same age peers?

Preschool Participation and Performance

How does the student’s disability affect his or her involvement and progress in appropriate activities?

Considerations (Preschool)

• Include information that describes how the student is performing in appropriate preschool activities.
• Include insights into problems the student is likely to encounter when participating in appropriate preschool activities, as well as what the student can do, so that the annual goals reflect what is developmentally appropriate.

Define the “What” and the “Why”

1. Participation and Primary Disability

• Consider the parent concerns and expectations along with the student’s identified strengths, interests and personal accomplishments. How does this information affect the student’s disability and ability to participate in appropriate preschool activities?
• What is the student's primary disability? How does the disability affect this student and contribute to the uniqueness of the student? How does this student’s disability impact his or her ability to participate in appropriate preschool activities?  (Discuss each developmental area impacted)

2. Summary of Assessment Findings

• Review the Summary of Assessment Findings for all developmental areas. Be sure to review all formal assessments, developmental assessments, classroom observations, and samples of daily work. If the student transitioned from Babies Can’t Wait, be sure to consider information provided in the IFSP. Use the aggregate of all information to develop a beginning understanding of the student’s current performance level. How does this impact the student’s ability to participate in developmentally appropriate activities?
• If this is not an initial IEP, review the student’s progress on the IEP goals from the previous year. How does this impact the student’s ability to participate in developmentally appropriate activities?

3. Present Level

• Analyze how the student participates in developmentally appropriate activities compared to his or her same age peers.
• When did you first start seeing academic or functional difficulties compared to the student’s age related peers?
• What support(s) has the student received? Is there evidence of which supports have been effective? Are additional accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids (including assistive technology), related services, and/or interventions needed?
• How does this student interact with developmentally appropriate activities and demonstrate knowledge compared to his or her same age peers?