Is It PLEP Or PLOP? for Present Level of Performance
I was lost, frustrated and overwhelmed with my younger daughter’s IEP (Individualized Education Plan)! I started calling agencies for help and finally found the first person who listened to me! I was on the phone with Anna Brynild, the IEP Coach for Central FL Parent Center, and she asked me “what do you want for Torrie”? She followed it up with “what is Torrie’s present level”? I was dumb-founded and had no clue what Anna was asking with her second question. There are 67 counties in Florida and none of them use the same format for an IEP; Anna couldn’t tell me what page to look at. After finding the paragraph, it didn’t contain enough information that was specific to Torrie’s educational level. She suggested I write a letter asking for comprehensive evaluations to get Torrie’s “present level” in all areas – academic and functional.
Since that call I have learned about “present levels” for our children. This is referred to as the PLEP (Present Level of Educational Performance) or PLOP (Present Level Of Performance). The IEP Team, which includes parents, needs to know what the child’s present level is. The present level is just that – it tells you as parents (and the IEP Team) where your child is and what your child can and cannot do. This is important for writing or amending the IEP for the coming year.
When looking at the PLEP/PLOP, it should contain specifics of what your child can and cannot do under that specific domain in the IEP. There are 5 domains/ headings in the IEP, they are: Curriculum and Learning, Social / Emotional Behavior, Independent Functioning, Communication, and Health Care. The Health Care Domain is not addressed for most of our children. Specific information should be included in each area for your child. Examples could include: Rose can print 20 of 26 upper & lower case letters, or Zack is able to independently use the bathroom 30% of the time daily. Adjectives like “most or many times” or “sometimes or seldom” should not be used because you can’t “measure” those adjectives. The present levels should be measureable to every member of the IEP Team. Your child should have present levels written for academics and functional performance (non-academics like independent functioning, socialization with his/her peers, advocacy to ask the teacher a question when your child needs help, just to name a few).
Tell Me More ….
How does the school get the PLEP/PLOP? With an initial evaluation (the first time your child is evaluated through the district), the evaluations will show strengths and weaknesses. These are your child compared to the state standards. Goals should be written based on the weakness so that your child will work toward the standards.
Annually, when your child’s IEP is reviewed, the teachers and service providers will gather this information from what your child is currently doing in the educational setting/class (work samples, tests, observations, etc). Again, your child is compared to the state standards for the grade level. If there is a gap, that is what the goal should be addressing.
What’s the Bottom Line?
The PLEP/PLOP will give the IEP Team a baseline to show where your child is in relation to the state standards. Without knowing what the baseline is for your child, the Team will have a difficult time writing appropriate goals. Without appropriate goals to meet your child’s unique needs, your child may not get the appropriate direct or related services, supplementary aids or accommodations that he/she needs to help him/her reach that goal and state standard.
If you as a parent do not understand the PLEP/PLOP, or any other part of the IEP, ask questions to get a clarification. Remember, you are your child’s first advocate! And your child will learn from you!
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Doreen Franklin My husband and I moved to PSL, FL in 1998. We adopted 2 daughters, both are special needs. I am an IEP Coach with Central FL Parent Center. I homeschooled our older daughter and have tutored children in different
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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2015 Magazine [13]