IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in Florida
What should present levels include in a Florida IEP?
The Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) is a foundational component of every Florida IEP, required under FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(h) and 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1). The PLAAFP must include a statement of the student's current academic achievement and functional performance that accurately describes the effect of the student's disability on his or her participation and progress in the general education curriculum. For prekindergarten children, the statement must describe how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)). Florida requires that the PLAAFP serve as baseline data from which measurable annual goals are developed. The statement must be grounded in objective data including the results of the initial or most recent evaluation or reevaluation, the student's performance on statewide assessments (FAST — Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) or district assessments, teacher observations, curriculum-based measures, and other relevant data sources (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g)). The IEP team must consider the strengths of the student and the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their student, as well as the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the student (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g)). Academic achievement encompasses skills in reading, language arts, writing, mathematics, science, and other academic subjects, while functional performance covers non-academic skills such as daily living, social skills, behavior, communication, and mobility. The PLAAFP must contain an impact statement that identifies what is unique about the student and explains specifically how the characteristics of the disability inhibit the student's access to and progress in the general education curriculum. For students with behavior that impedes their learning or the learning of others, the IEP team must consider and document strategies including positive behavioral interventions and supports (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g)). For transition-age students (ages 14-22), IEP teams frequently incorporate age-appropriate transition assessment information into the present levels statement to establish baselines for postsecondary goal development (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(h)). In Florida, the PLAAFP directly informs the Matrix of Services by establishing the level of support the student requires across domains, which in turn determines the ESE cost factor used for FEFP funding. The PLAAFP must be sufficiently detailed to justify all recommended services, accommodations, and the student's placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Students who are dual-identified as both gifted and having a disability must have a PLAAFP that addresses needs in both areas under FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g) and FAC 6A-6.03019.
What Florida Requires
PLAAFP must include a statement of the student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(h); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1))
Must describe how the student'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))
Must incorporate results from the initial or most recent evaluation or reevaluation (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g))
Must include results of student performance on statewide (FAST) or districtwide assessments as appropriate (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g))
IEP team must consider the strengths of the student and the concerns of the parents for enhancing education (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g))
Must address the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the student (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g))
For students whose behavior impedes learning, must consider positive behavioral interventions, supports, and other strategies (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g))
For students also identified as gifted under FAC 6A-6.03019, the IEP must address both gifted and disability-related needs (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g))
For transition-age students, age-appropriate transition assessment data should be incorporated into the PLAAFP (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(h))
Must provide sufficient baseline data to develop measurable annual goals and justify services and placement (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1))
Students dual-identified as gifted and having a disability must have a PLAAFP addressing both gifted and disability-related needs (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(g); FAC 6A-6.03019)
Key Timelines
PLAAFP must be developed as part of the IEP within 30 calendar days of eligibility determination (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(f))
PLAAFP must be reviewed and updated at least annually during IEP review (FAC 6A-6.03028(3)(f); 34 CFR 300.324(b))
Reevaluation data informing PLAAFP must be conducted at least every three years unless parent and district agree it is unnecessary (34 CFR 300.303(b))