IEP PROCESS Part 2 – The PLAAFP

Theresa Frakes, Compliance Monitor

Lapeer County ISD

Jennifer Tindall, Director of Special Education

Lapeer Community Schools

8/31/2015

Learning Objective

Making Connections to PLAAFP Development

Increase understanding to the purpose and

function of the IEP and PLAAFP

Participate in a Peer Review of IEP PLAAFP Statements

Write well-connected IEP’s based on data and demonstrated needs

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A component of IDEA is the written document called the Individualized Education Program. IDEA puts emphasis on the requirement that the IEP

should describe how the student’s disability affects his/her involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

This is accomplished through the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement.

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The Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) is the foundation

for writing connected IEPs.

The PLAAFP statement should accurately describe the student’s performance in all areas of education that are affected by the disability.

This could include:

physical education

academics

social emotional

transition

organizational skills

speech and language

motor skills

any other area affected by the disability and appropriate to the student’s unique educational or vocational needs. 8/31/2015

The present level of academic achievement and functional performance determines approaches for ensuring

involvement in, or adaptations/modifications to, the general curriculum.

Each area of identified need related to the disability must be addressed in at least one of the following:

annual goals

supplementary aids/services/personnel supports

secondary transition services

the foundation for decisions determining the student’s participation in State- and District-wide assessments

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Create a Link

The big picture of an individualized education plan should create a circular link between the PLAAFP, goals, objectives, transitional services, supplementary aids, programs and services.

The appropriate program and related services will…

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How does the PLAAFP provide guidance?

The IEP Team determines appropriate supplementary aids/service/personnel support, annual goals and short term objectives, state and district-wide assessments and, when age appropriate, transitional services.

It is the foundation for every decision made by the IEP team.

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The PLAAFP must Describe…

A description of area(s) of educational need.

Areas of educational need include:

Academic subject areas (such as math, reading, social studies or language arts)

Functional areas (such as self-care, social skills, behavior, or adaptive skills)

An area of disability (such as speech/language, or motor functioning)

Transition (independent living, employment, education and training)

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1. To accurately describe the student’s performance in all areas of education and a description of functional performance that is affected by the student’s disability, including the student’s current status/progress in relation to their desired post-school outcomes.

2. PLAAFP information supports the IEP Team’s determination of transition services, supplemental aids and services, personnel supports, annual goals, short-term objectives, state/district-wide assessments, and ultimately, whether the curriculum must be adapted or modified for the student.

3. Narrative summary of the baseline data. Explain the data, areas of need, and how the disability affects success in the general education curriculum. The narrative summary must be sufficient to provide a starting point for instruction and transition planning.

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4. Baseline data may be obtained from criterion referenced tests, standardized achievement tests, diagnostic tests, classroom performance, curriculum-based measurement, systematic observations, state or district-wide assessments, checklists, progress reports, report cards, student input, parent input, or any combination of the above.

5. A statement of how the disability impacts the student’s involvement/progress in the general education curriculum. This statement must address specific needs including, but not limited to, working independently, earning credits toward graduation, need for assistance, behavior supports, and/or organizational skills.

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The rest of the IEP decisions should have a direct link back to the PLAAFP statement.

To General Education Curriculum: The present level determines approaches for ensuring involvement in, or adaptations or modifications to, the general curriculum. How has the student been progressing in the general education curriculum? What benchmarks have he/she mastered, or is working on?

To Annual Goals and Short-term Objectives: Each area of educational need identified in the PLAAFP (including PE, if appropriate) must be addressed in at least one of the following: annual goals, supplementary aids and services, personnel supports, or secondary transition services.

Least Restrictive Environment: Educational placements should be determined by the child’s needs, not by the label describing the child’s disability or the availability of programs. In general, each IEPT must answer the following questions. How does the student’s disability require specially designed instruction that cannot be provided in general education, including PE? Why, and where in the school day, does the student need special education? (See MI Department of Education’s Position Paper titled ―Determining the LRE in Accordance with IDEA‖, dated August, 2004, for guidance.)

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Supplementary Aids/Services/Personnel Support: What identified areas of need suggest the need for supplementary aids and services, or personnel support? What accommodations or modifications to the assignments and/or curriculum would allow success in general education (including PE)?

Transition Services Plan: At the IEP prior to the student’s 16th birthday, a determination must be made about where this student is presently functioning in relationship to where they want to be per his/her post- school vision in the areas of adult daily living, career/employment, post-secondary education & training, and community participation. Are there any areas that need special instruction, related services, or accommodations in order to achieve their vision/goals and are related to his/her EDP?

State and District-wide Assessments: All students must participate in Michigan Educational Assessment System (MEAS) and the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). IEP Teams must determine how students will participate on a case by case basis. Decisions must be made based on each student’s functional level, extent of participation in General Education, and the future vision for the student.

NOTE!!! For guidance on choosing the most appropriate MI-Access Level, see the Guidelines for Determining Participation in State Assessment for Students with Disabilities published by the MI Department of Education.

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Check In….

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What is Educational Benefit? FAPE+LRE=EB

http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/docs/sped-powerpoints-page/filesteachermanual7.pdf?sfvrsn=2

The Educational Benefit Review process is directed toward answering the following questions :

1. Is the Assessment complete and does it identify the student’s needs?

2. Does the present level of performance include all of the needs identified in the assessment including behavioral, English learner?

3. Are all of the student’s educational needs addressed by appropriate goals and objectives?

4. Do the services support the goals and objectives including English learners, where appropriate?

5. Did the student make yearly progress inclusive of grades and standardized test scores?

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What is Educational Benefit? FAPE+LRE=EB

http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/docs/sped-powerpoints-page/filesteachermanual7.pdf?sfvrsn=2

The Educational Benefit Review process is directed toward answering the following questions :

6. If the student did not make progress, were the goals and objectives changed in the next IEP to assist the student to make progress?

7. If the student did not make progress, were the services changed in the next IEP to assist the student to make progress?

8. Were sufficient services provided to ensure that the student would make progress?

9. To assess for overall compliance…With the answers above, was the IEP reasonably calculated to result in EB?

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Goals and Objectives

Question: Goals and Objectives are one in the same?

*True

or *False

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Goals Annual goals are what is expected for the child to learn within a calendar year.

Annual goals are like a road map. Where’s the child heading this year? What will he or she work on, both academically and in terms of functional development? What does the IEP team feel the child can achieve by the end of the year–again, academically and functionally?

A well-written goal should be (a) positive, and (b) describe a skill that can be seen and measured. It answers the questions:

Who?. . . will achieve? What?. . . skill or behavior? How?. . . in what manner or at what level? Where?. . . in what setting or under what conditions? When?. . . by what time? an ending date?”

See IEP Goal writing template in binder Source: NICHCY

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Objectives

In the federal law IDEA, objectives are known as benchmarks or short-term objectives.

Benchmarks indicate the interim steps a child will take to reach an annual goal.

They also serve as a measurement gauge to monitor a child’s progress and determine if the child is making sufficient progress towards attaining an annual goal. Using a roadmap analogy, benchmarks and short-term objectives are used to divide the trip to the final destination into concrete, smaller steps.

Source: NICHCY

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Evaluation Criteria & Reporting The information on how well a child must perform and how his or her progress will be

measured is often called evaluation criteria. Well-written evaluation criteria are stated in objective, measurable terms.

For example, a child might be required to perform a task “with 90% accuracy” or get 18 out of 20 words correct in each of 5 trials. These are concrete numbers or scores, establishing what the IEP team considers an acceptable level of performance or progress for the child.

Although, progress may not be measured in number scores, such as statements like this:

By June 15, Sam will complete the obstacle course unassisted,

as documented by the adapted physical education teacher.

NOTE: Make sure your performance criteria in your goal matches the target % in EdPlan

Other ways of checking progress may include:

reviewing class work and homework assignments

giving quizzes, tests, or teacher-made assessments

giving informal and/or formal assessments

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Writing SMART IEP Goals and Objectives

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Writing Goals Video

http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/dc_intro/lib/media/slides01/SlideShow.html

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CONNECTIVITY

Must be supported by a need identified in the PLAAFP statement and a direct connection to an identified need must be shown.

Aids, services, program modifications, and/or supports for school personnel that are provided in general education classes or other education-related settings to enable students with disabilities to be educated with their non- disabled peers.

Supplementary aids and services include instructional supports such as peer tutors, paraprofessionals, interpreters, as well as any other instructional supports provided in conjunction with general education.

May also include technological devices and services, such as calculators, tapes, tape recorders, or print-to-speech software.

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CONNECTIVITY

Must be supported by a need identified in the PLAAFP statement and a direct connection to an identified need must be shown.

May be provided through either general education or special education.

The amount of time, the frequency that the supplementary aid or service will be necessary, and the duration of the service must be identified.

The environment, or location, in which the supports will be provided (such as general education, special education, large group activities, during transitions, at the job site, etc) must be identified.

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Activity

Peer Review Committee IEP Development Review

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SCECHS and SURVEY

In order to receive SCECHS you must turn your completed form in upon exit. Your PIC is required If you did not bring today, you must provide to Hollie

Wagner hwagner@lapeerisd.org no later than Thursday of this week.

SCECHs are now FREE!

You will receive an online survey of today’s workshop within a week. We appreciate your feedback.

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