IEP Present Levels (PLAAFP) in Wisconsin
What should present levels include in a Wisconsin IEP?
Wisconsin requires the IEP to include a statement of the child's present level of academic achievement and functional performance, describing how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(a)). Present levels must be based on data gathered through Wisconsin's comprehensive evaluation process under Wis. Stat. § 115.782, which requires multiple assessment tools and strategies to gather functional, developmental, and academic information. The IEP team, as defined in Wis. Stat. § 115.78, must consider the child's strengths, parent concerns, results of the most recent evaluation, and the child's academic, developmental, and functional needs when developing present levels (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(3)(a)). For transition-age students (age 14+), present levels must reflect results of age-appropriate transition assessments tied to postsecondary goals (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(g)). Present levels form the baseline from which annual goals are measured and must be updated at each annual IEP review. Wisconsin's use of a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework for SLD identification (Wis. Admin. Code PI 11.36(6)) means that progress monitoring data collected during general education intervention often provides critical baseline information feeding directly into the present levels statement.
What Wisconsin Requires
Present levels must describe how the disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general curriculum, or for preschool children, participation in appropriate activities (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(a); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
Present levels must be grounded in data from the comprehensive evaluation including multiple assessment tools, observations, parent and teacher input, and existing data review (Wis. Stat. § 115.782).
The IEP team must consider the child's strengths and parental concerns for improving the child's education when establishing present levels (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(3)(a)).
For transition-age students (age 14+), present levels must incorporate results of age-appropriate transition assessments addressing postsecondary goals for training, education, and employment (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(g)).
Present levels must flow directly into measurable annual goals that address identified disability-related needs (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(b)).
RtI progress monitoring data collected during pre-referral intervention is relevant baseline information for present levels in SLD evaluations (Wis. Admin. Code PI 11.36(6)).
Key Timelines
Present levels must be updated at each annual IEP review (Wis. Stat. § 115.787(4); 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Reevaluation of the data underlying present levels must occur at least every three years or when conditions warrant (Wis. Stat. § 115.782; 34 CFR 300.303).
Parents must receive evaluation information in advance of eligibility and IEP meetings per the prior written notice requirements in Wis. Stat. § 115.792.