IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in Montana
What should present levels include in a Montana IEP?
Montana IEPs must include a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAPF), required by ARM 10.16.3340 incorporating 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1). The PLAAPF statement must describe how the child's disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, or for preschool children, how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities. Montana's OPI IEP template designates the present levels section as the foundation of the entire IEP, noting that all goals, services, and supports must logically flow from the documented baseline. The PLAAPF must include a comprehensive picture of the student's current performance based on the comprehensive educational evaluation (ARM 10.16.3321), and should address academic achievement, functional performance, social-emotional skills, communication, and any other areas relevant to the student's disability. Montana's evaluation procedures under ARM 10.16.3321 require evaluation reports to include statements of implications for educational planning in terms understandable to all team members, and documentation explaining why the student needs special education and related services. The PLAAPF must be written using objective, measurable data derived from current assessments, and must identify the student's strengths as well as areas of need. Montana school districts are required under ARM 10.16.3345 to develop and implement procedures for promotion of students with disabilities that consider their IEP, present levels, and progress toward goals.
What Montana Requires
The IEP must contain a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAPF), describing how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum (ARM 10.16.3340; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
For preschool children (ages 3-5), the PLAAPF must describe how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities, not just the general education curriculum (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)(ii)).
Evaluation reports must include statements of implications for educational planning in terms understandable to all team members, and explain why the student needs special education (ARM 10.16.3321).
Present levels must be based on current, comprehensive evaluation data and must use objective, measurable language to document baseline performance (ARM 10.16.3321(2); 34 CFR 300.304(b)).
All annual goals must logically connect to identified areas of need in the PLAAPF, ensuring the IEP is data-driven and individualized (ARM 10.16.3340; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
The PLAAPF must address academic achievement, functional performance, social-emotional skills, communication, and any other areas relevant to the student's disability (ARM 10.16.3340; 34 CFR 300.324(a)).
Montana LEAs must consider progress data when updating PLAAPF at annual review to ensure baseline statements reflect current student performance (ARM 10.16.3345; 34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)).
Key Timelines
Present levels must be updated at each annual IEP review based on current evaluation data and progress reports (ARM 10.16.3340; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
If a student transfers from another district, the new LEA must review and, if necessary, update the PLAAPF based on current information within a reasonable time (34 CFR 300.323(e)-(f)).