IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in North Carolina
What should present levels include in a North Carolina IEP?
The Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) is a foundational and required component of every North Carolina IEP, mandated by 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1) and NC 1503-5 (NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities). The PLAAFP must include a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, specifically addressing how the child's disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, or for preschool children, how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)). In North Carolina, the PLAAFP is developed from multiple data sources including the initial evaluation or most recent reevaluation, progress on previous IEP goals, information provided by parents, classroom-based assessments, state assessment data (NC EOG/EOC results), and other relevant information. The IEP Team must consider the child's strengths, parental concerns for enhancing the child's education, the results of the initial or most recent evaluation, and the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child (34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)). The PLAAFP establishes baseline data against which progress on annual goals will be measured and drives the identification of the student's unique needs. It must address both academic achievement (reading, math, writing) and functional performance, which includes nonacademic skills necessary for independent functioning such as behavior, social skills, communication, daily living skills, and mobility. For students with disabilities who participate in NC's alternate assessment (NCEXTEND1), the PLAAFP must reflect performance relative to the NC Extended Content Standards. The PLAAFP must be updated at least annually as part of the IEP Team's annual review (34 CFR 300.324(b)). North Carolina's ECATS (Exceptional Children Accountability and Tracking System) provides structured fields for documenting present levels across academic and functional domains. All IEP documentation in NC is maintained in ECATS per NC DPI State Board of Education policy.
What North Carolina Requires
The IEP must include a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1); NC 1503-5)
The IEP Team must consider the child's strengths, parent concerns, evaluation results, and academic, developmental, and functional needs when developing the PLAAFP (34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)(i)-(iv))
PLAAFP must address both academic achievement and functional performance including behavior, social skills, communication, and daily living skills (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1))
For preschool children, the PLAAFP must describe how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities rather than general education curriculum involvement (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1))
Present levels must incorporate data from evaluations, state assessments (NC EOG/EOC), classroom performance, progress on prior IEP goals, and parent input (NC 1503-5; 34 CFR 300.324(a)(1))
For students taking NCEXTEND1, present levels must reflect performance relative to the NC Extended Content Standards
PLAAFP documentation is maintained in ECATS (Exceptional Children Accountability and Tracking System) per NC DPI SBE policy
Key Timelines
The PLAAFP must be reviewed and updated at least annually as part of the IEP Team's annual review (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1))
The initial PLAAFP is established as part of the initial IEP, which must be developed within 30 calendar days of the eligibility determination (34 CFR 300.323(c)(1))
Reevaluations that provide updated present levels data must be conducted at least every 3 years unless the parent and LEA agree otherwise (34 CFR 300.303(b))
Progress data informing present levels updates must be reported periodically, at least as often as report cards are issued (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3))