IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in Louisiana
What should present levels include in a Louisiana IEP?
In Louisiana, present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) are the foundational component of every IEP, as required by Bulletin 1706, §320(A)(1) and federal law. The PLAAFP must describe how the student's exceptionality affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, or for preschool children, how it affects participation in appropriate activities. Present levels must be based on comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation data gathered through a variety of assessment tools; Bulletin 1508 prohibits use of any single measure as the sole criterion for eligibility or programming decisions. For transition-age students (age 16 and older), present levels must include results of age-appropriate transition assessments. Parent concerns are a required consideration under Bulletin 1706, §324(A). Louisiana uses the standard federal 'IEP Team' terminology. The IEP team must include an evaluation representative — a person knowledgeable about and able to interpret the evaluation data — at the initial IEP meeting (Bulletin 1530, §107). Louisiana's officially designated representative (ODR) of the LEA must be qualified to provide or supervise specially designed instruction and knowledgeable about available LEA resources (Bulletin 1530, §107).
What Louisiana Requires
Present levels must describe how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, with specific academic and functional performance data (Bulletin 1706, §320(A)(1)).
Bulletin 1706, §320(A)(1)
Evaluation must use a variety of assessment tools and strategies; no single measure may serve as the sole criterion for eligibility or programming decisions (Bulletin 1508, §302).
Bulletin 1508, §302
Parent concerns for enhancing the education of their child must be considered and documented by the IEP team (Bulletin 1706, §324(A)).
Bulletin 1706, §324(A)
An evaluation representative must attend the initial IEP meeting and be knowledgeable about and able to interpret the evaluation results (Bulletin 1530, §107).
Bulletin 1530, §107
For transition-age students, present levels must include results of age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and independent living (Bulletin 1706, §320(B)).
Bulletin 1706, §320(B)
Key Timelines
Present levels must be reviewed and updated at each annual IEP meeting (Bulletin 1706, §324(B)).
Reevaluation to reassess present levels must occur at least every three years (Bulletin 1508, §304(b)(2)).
Evaluation reports and results must be made available to parents and used to inform the eligibility and IEP meeting (Bulletin 1706, §306(A)).