IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in Ohio
What should present levels include in a Ohio IEP?
In Ohio, the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) is a foundational required component of every IEP. Under ORC §3323.011(A) and OAC §3301-51-07(E)(1)(b), the IEP must include a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, specifically describing how the child's disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. For preschool children, the statement must describe how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities rather than the general curriculum (OAC §3301-51-07(E)(1)(b); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)). Ohio's state-required Evaluation Team Report (ETR), recorded on the PR-06 form governed by OAC §3301-51-06, is the document that feeds current evaluation data into the PLAAFP. The ETR must document the child's present levels of academic achievement and developmental needs and identify whether additions or modifications to services are needed (OAC §3301-51-06(F)(1)(b)(vi)). Ohio requires that evaluation data draw from a variety of sources — classroom assessments, teacher observations, parent input, and formal evaluation results — and no single measure may be the sole criterion (OAC §3301-51-06(B)(2)). The PLAAFP must be written with sufficient specificity to establish a clear, measurable connection to each annual goal that follows. The Ohio PR-07 IEP form requires documentation linking each goal to the corresponding PLAAFP baseline. When the IEP team reviews the IEP at least annually, it must consider any lack of expected progress toward annual goals and in the general education curriculum (OAC §3301-51-07(I)(1)), which requires re-examining and updating the present levels. For children taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards, the IEP must also include a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives tied to present levels (ORC §3323.011(B); OAC §3301-51-07(E)(1)(c); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)). Reevaluations that inform updated present levels must occur at least once every three years unless parent and district agree that a reevaluation is unnecessary (OAC §3301-51-06(D)(2)).
What Ohio Requires
The IEP must include a statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (ORC §3323.011(A); OAC §3301-51-07(E)(1)(b); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
For preschool children, present levels must describe how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities rather than the general curriculum (OAC §3301-51-07(E)(1)(b)).
Present levels must incorporate data from multiple sources including classroom assessments, teacher observations, parent input, and formal evaluations from the ETR (OAC §3301-51-06(F)(1)).
The Ohio ETR must document the child's present levels of academic achievement and developmental needs, and this information feeds directly into the IEP (OAC §3301-51-06(F)(1)(b); OAC §3301-51-05(G)(3)(b)).
For children taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, the present levels section must include benchmarks or short-term objectives (ORC §3323.011(A)).
The IEP team must consider any lack of expected progress toward annual goals when reviewing and updating present levels (OAC §3301-51-07(I)(1); 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Key Timelines
Present levels must be current at the time of IEP development, informed by the most recent ETR data (OAC §3301-51-05(G)(3)(b); OAC §3301-51-07).
The ETR provides baseline data for present levels and must be completed within 60 days of parental consent for evaluation (OAC §3301-51-06(H)).
Present levels must be reviewed and updated at least annually as part of the IEP review process (OAC §3301-51-07(I)(2); 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Reevaluations that inform updated present levels must occur at least once every three years, unless parent and district agree a reevaluation is unnecessary (OAC §3301-51-06(D)(2)).