IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in Arizona
What should present levels include in a Arizona IEP?
Arizona IEPs must include a statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) that describes how the pupil's disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (or, for preschool children, how it affects participation in appropriate activities), consistent with 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1) as incorporated through A.A.C. R7-2-401. The PLAAFP must be grounded in data from the multidisciplinary evaluation, which Arizona requires to be completed within 60 calendar days of receiving parental consent (A.R.S. § 15-766(B); A.A.C. R7-2-401(C)(1)). The PLAAFP must address every area affected by the disability — academic, functional, behavioral, communication, and social-emotional as applicable — and must establish a documented baseline from which measurable annual goals are derived. Parent concerns regarding their child's education must be incorporated into the PLAAFP development process (34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)(ii)). For students age 16 or older, the PLAAFP must reflect the results of age-appropriate transition assessments covering academic, functional, and postsecondary goal domains (34 CFR 300.320(b)(1)). ADE-ESS provides IEP guidance documents and training materials to assist teams in developing legally sufficient present levels.
What Arizona Requires
The PLAAFP must describe how the pupil's disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (or, for preschool children, participation in appropriate activities) (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1); A.A.C. R7-2-401).
Present levels must be derived from the multidisciplinary evaluation data gathered within 60 calendar days of parental consent to evaluate (A.R.S. § 15-766(B); A.A.C. R7-2-401(C)(1)).
For students age 16 or older, the PLAAFP must be informed by age-appropriate transition assessments addressing training, education, employment, and independent living needs (34 CFR 300.320(b)(1)).
Parent concerns and the pupil's strengths must be considered and reflected in the PLAAFP and goal development process (34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)).
Each measurable annual goal must be directly linked to a need identified in the present levels (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2); A.A.C. R7-2-401).
The PLAAFP must address all developmental and functional areas affected by the disability, not only academic achievement.
Key Timelines
The PLAAFP must be updated at each annual IEP review, incorporating current performance data (A.A.C. R7-2-401; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Reevaluation of the pupil — which generates new data for the PLAAFP — must occur at least every three years unless parent and district agree it is unnecessary (A.R.S. § 15-766; 34 CFR 300.303(b)(2)).
Evaluation data underlying the PLAAFP must be gathered within 60 calendar days of receiving parental written consent to evaluate (A.R.S. § 15-766(B); A.A.C. R7-2-401(C)(1)).