Present Levels (PLAAFP): The IEP Section That Drives Everything Else

The Present Levels section (PLAAFP) describes where your child is right now — academically, functionally, and socially. It must include evaluation data, teacher and parent observations, and an explanation of how the disability affects participation in general education. Every goal, service, and accommodation in the IEP must connect directly to what is documented here.

If this section is weak, everything built on top of it — every goal, every service, every accommodation — will be weak too.

This guide explains what the Present Levels section should look like, how to spot the warning signs of a bad one, and exactly what you can do to make it stronger. Because this is where your child's IEP lives or dies.

Why Present Levels Is the Most Important Section

Think of the IEP as a building. The goals are the walls. The services are the roof. But the Present Levels section is the foundation. If the foundation is cracked, vague, or missing pieces, the entire structure is unstable.

Present Levels does three critical things:

1. It establishes where your child is right now — the starting line for everything that follows
2. It provides the baseline data that makes goals measurable and progress trackable
3. It makes the case for services — if a need is not documented here, there is no justification for a service to address it

When reading your child's IEP, start here. If this section is solid, the rest of the IEP has a fighting chance. If it is not, everything downstream is compromised.

What Is PLAAFP?

PLAAFP stands for Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance. You might also hear it called "Present Levels," "PLOP" (Present Level of Performance), or just "the snapshot section." Different schools and states use different names, but they all mean the same thing.

This section is a comprehensive picture of where your child is right now. Not where the school hopes they will be. Not where they were last year. Right now. It covers:

• Academic performance — reading, writing, math, and other subject areas
• Functional performance — daily living skills, independence, organization
• Social and emotional skills — peer relationships, emotional regulation, behavior
• Communication — speech, language, social communication
• Motor skills — fine motor (handwriting, cutting) and gross motor (coordination, mobility)
• Any other area affected by the disability

Here is the simplest way to think about it: PLAAFP is the GPS starting point. You cannot plan a route if you do not know where you are. You cannot write a meaningful goal if you do not know where your child is starting from. And you cannot choose the right services if you have not clearly described what your child needs help with.

What a Strong PLAAFP Should Include

A well-written Present Levels section has five essential components. If any of these is missing, the foundation has a crack in it.

1. Current Assessment Data With Specific Scores and Levels

You want numbers, not feelings. The PLAAFP should reference recent evaluation results, standardized test scores, curriculum-based measurements, and classroom performance data.

• Good: "Jayden scored a 78 on the Woodcock-Johnson IV Broad Reading cluster, placing him in the 7th percentile. His oral reading fluency is 45 words per minute on grade-level text (grade-level benchmark is 90 wpm). He reads instructional-level material at the late second-grade level, as measured by the Fountas and Pinnell assessment administered on 11/15/2025."
• Bad: "Jayden struggles with reading and is below grade level."

The first example gives you something to measure against. The second tells you almost nothing.

2. How the Disability Affects Access to the General Curriculum

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)) a statement of how the child's disability affects their involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. This is not optional. It connects the diagnosis to the daily reality of the classroom.

• Good: "Jayden's specific learning disability in reading affects his ability to independently access grade-level science and social studies textbooks, follow multi-step written directions, and complete reading comprehension assessments within the allotted time."
• Bad: "Jayden's disability impacts his learning."

3. Strengths (Not Just Deficits)

A PLAAFP that only lists what your child cannot do is an incomplete picture. Strengths are how the team builds effective interventions. They are the leverage points — what your child does well that can be used to address what they find difficult.

• Good: "Jayden has strong verbal comprehension skills and excels in oral discussions. He demonstrates curiosity and asks insightful questions about science content when material is presented verbally. He works well in small groups and readily supports peers."
• Bad: No mention of strengths at all, or a single throwaway line like "Jayden is a nice kid."

4. Parent Input and Observations

Your observations at home are not a nice-to-have. They are a required part of the IEP under federal law. What you see during homework time, at social events, during morning routines, and after school provides context the school simply does not have.

• Good: "Parent reports that homework in reading-heavy subjects takes Jayden 90+ minutes per night, often resulting in frustration and tears. Parent notes that Jayden avoids reading for pleasure but is deeply engaged when listening to audiobooks, retaining details and making connections to other material."
• Bad: "Parent has been informed of student's progress." (This is not parent input — it is a statement about the school's communication.)

5. Baseline Data That Goals Will Be Measured Against

This is the bridge between Present Levels and goals. The baseline in the PLAAFP should be specific enough that when you read a goal, you can see exactly how far your child needs to go.

• Good: "Jayden currently writes 2-3 sentence paragraphs with frequent capitalization and punctuation errors (averaging 6 errors per paragraph). He requires a graphic organizer and sentence starters to begin writing tasks."
• Bad: "Jayden has difficulty with writing."

Red Flags in Weak Present Levels

These warning signs tell you the Present Levels section needs attention:

Copy-paste language from last year

If the Present Levels section reads exactly like last year's IEP, the team may not have updated the data. Your child is not the same person they were a year ago. This section should reflect that.

Vague statements with no data

Phrases like "making progress," "continues to struggle," or "performing below grade level" are meaningless without numbers. How much below grade level? What kind of progress? Compared to what?

No specific data points

If the PLAAFP does not cite any assessments, test scores, work samples, or observational data, it is based on impressions rather than evidence. Impressions are not enough to build an IEP on.

Missing areas

If your child has social-emotional needs but the Present Levels only address academics, that is a gap. If your child has fine motor concerns but there is nothing about handwriting or functional motor skills, something was left out. Every area affected by the disability should be represented.

No mention of strengths

A PLAAFP that reads like a list of everything your child cannot do is not a complete picture. It also suggests the team may not know your child well enough to teach them effectively.

Does not match what you see at home

If the Present Levels paint a picture that does not match the child you live with — maybe it sounds more positive than reality, or it misses a major struggle — your voice is not in this section yet. That needs to change.

How PLAAFP Connects to Goals

The relationship between Present Levels and IEP goals is supposed to be a direct, traceable line:

• Present Levels describe where your child IS
• Goals describe where your child SHOULD BE in one year
• Services describe HOW they will get there

This means two things should be true:

1. Every goal should have a matching baseline in the Present Levels. If a goal says "Jayden will read at 90 words per minute," but the Present Levels never state his current reading rate, there is no way to measure whether that goal represents meaningful progress or is impossibly ambitious.
2. Every deficit described in Present Levels should have a goal addressing it. If the PLAAFP describes significant difficulty with emotional regulation but no goal targets emotional regulation, that need is going to go unaddressed for an entire year.

Here is a simple exercise: take a piece of paper and draw two columns. In the left column, list every need identified in the Present Levels. In the right column, list every goal. Draw lines connecting them. If a need has no matching goal, or a goal has no matching baseline, you have found a problem to bring to the team.

How PLAAFP Connects to Services

The Present Levels section should make the case for every service in the IEP. If occupational therapy is listed as a service, the PLAAFP should describe fine motor concerns, sensory processing challenges, or functional skill deficits that justify it. If speech-language therapy is included, the Present Levels should document communication needs.

The logic works in both directions:

• If a service is listed but the Present Levels do not describe a corresponding need, something is disconnected. The team should be able to point to specific PLAAFP data that supports every service.
• If the Present Levels describe a significant need but no service addresses it, your child has an unmet need. The team needs to either add a service or explain — in writing — why they believe the need can be met without one.

This is especially important when services are being added, reduced, or removed. The justification should always trace back to what the Present Levels say. If a school wants to reduce speech therapy from 3 sessions to 1 session per week, the Present Levels should show clear data that your child's communication skills have improved enough to warrant that change.

Your Right to Contribute Parent Input

Federal law requires that the IEP team consider parent input when developing the IEP. This is not a courtesy — it is a legal mandate under IDEA (34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)(ii)). Your concerns and your observations about your child must be considered.

What you see at home matters. The school only sees your child for part of the day, in a structured environment, around other students. You see the full picture:

• Homework: How long it takes, what triggers frustration, where your child gets stuck, and what kind of support they need from you
• Social situations: How your child interacts with siblings, neighborhood kids, and peers outside of school. Whether they get invited to playdates. Whether they can navigate group activities
• Emotional regulation: What happens after school — the meltdowns, the shutdowns, the exhaustion from masking all day. The anxiety on Sunday night before the school week starts
• Daily living skills: Morning routines, self-care, organization, follow-through on multi-step tasks
• Strengths and interests: What lights your child up. What they do well when the pressure is off. What motivates them

All of this belongs in the Present Levels section. If you share it with the team and they do not include it, ask them to add it. You can say: "I would like my parent input documented in the Present Levels. Can you add what I shared to the IEP?"

State-Specific Notes

New Hampshire

• Evaluation reports must document present levels of performance before the team can make an eligibility determination (Ed 1107.05). This means the data informing your child's Present Levels should come from a thorough, completed evaluation — not assumptions.
• If a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) has been conducted, the FBA data must be included in the Present Levels section (RSA 186-C:7, IV). If your child has an FBA but the PLAAFP does not reference it, ask why.

Massachusetts

• Present Levels must appear in two sections of the IEP form: one addressing the general curriculum and one addressing "other educational needs" such as social, behavioral, or functional skills.
• Present Levels must be based on both formal and informal assessments plus parent input. A PLAAFP that only cites standardized test scores and ignores parent observations does not meet Massachusetts requirements.
• For students age 14 and older, the Present Levels must include transition-related current performance data — describing current skills related to post-secondary goals in education, employment, and independent living (603 CMR 28.05(4)).

How to Strengthen Weak Present Levels

If you have reviewed your child's PLAAFP and found gaps, vague language, or missing information, here is what you can do. These are concrete, actionable steps — no special education degree required.

1. Write a Parent Input Letter

Before the IEP meeting, write a letter describing what you observe at home. Include specific examples, not just general impressions. Submit it to the team in writing at least a few days before the meeting and ask that it be incorporated into the Present Levels.

2. Request Specific Evaluations

If the PLAAFP is missing data in a key area, you have the right to request evaluations. For example, if the Present Levels do not address social-emotional functioning and your child is struggling socially, request a social-emotional evaluation. Put it in writing.

3. Bring Your Own Data

You can bring documentation to the IEP meeting: report cards, private evaluation results, therapist reports, samples of homework showing difficulty, behavior logs you keep at home, or notes from your child's doctor. The team is required to consider outside data you provide.

4. Ask to See the Assessment Results

You have the right to review every evaluation and assessment that was used to write the Present Levels. If the PLAAFP cites a score, ask to see the full report. If it makes a claim about your child's performance, ask: "What data supports that statement?"

5. Request Revisions in Writing

If the meeting happens and the Present Levels still do not accurately describe your child, follow up with an email. State specifically what is missing or inaccurate, and request that the team update the section. Put your concerns on the record.

Sample Parent Input Statement

Here is a template you can adapt and submit to your child's IEP team before the meeting. Customize it with your child's name and your specific observations:

Parent Input for IEP — Present Levels

Student: [Child's Name] | Date: [Date] | Parent: [Your Name]

Academic Concerns:
At home, I observe that [Child's Name] [specific academic observation — e.g., "takes approximately 90 minutes to complete 30 minutes of assigned homework in reading-heavy subjects" / "cannot independently read the directions on assignments" / "avoids all writing tasks and becomes visibly distressed when writing is required"].

Social and Emotional Observations:
Outside of school, [Child's Name] [specific social-emotional observation — e.g., "frequently comes home from school emotionally exhausted and needs 45+ minutes of quiet time before engaging with the family" / "has difficulty maintaining friendships and is rarely invited to peer activities" / "expresses anxiety about school starting Sunday evening through Monday morning"].

Strengths I See at Home:
[Child's Name] [specific strengths — e.g., "shows strong problem-solving skills when building LEGO sets or working on hands-on projects" / "is deeply empathetic and perceptive about other people's emotions" / "retains and recalls information well when it is presented through audio or video"].

What I Would Like the Team to Know:
[Anything else — e.g., "The current IEP does not reflect the level of difficulty we experience at home" / "I believe [area] needs to be assessed" / "I would like my observations above to be included in the Present Levels section of the IEP"].

Your Next Steps

1. Pull out your child's current IEP and read the Present Levels section carefully. Use the five components above as a checklist.
2. Draw the connection lines. List the needs described in the PLAAFP and match each one to a goal and a service. Note any gaps.
3. Write your parent input. Use the template above or write your own. Be specific. Submit it to the team in writing before the next IEP meeting.
4. Ask for the data. If the Present Levels cite scores or assessments you have not seen, request copies. You have the right to review all evaluation reports.
5. Request a meeting if needed. You do not have to wait for the annual review. If the PLAAFP does not accurately describe your child, you can request an IEP meeting at any time to update it.
6. Keep a file. Save everything — emails, progress reports, your parent input letters, work samples. Documentation is your most powerful tool.

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Sources

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — U.S. Department of Education
• 34 CFR 300.320 — Definition of Individualized Education Program (IEP content requirements)
• 34 CFR 300.324 — Development, review, and revision of IEP (parent participation)
• 603 CMR 28.05(4) — Massachusetts Special Education Regulations
• NH Ed 1107.05 / RSA 186-C — New Hampshire Standards for Education of Children with Disabilities