My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
PLAAFP, or Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (referred to in some states as “PLOP,” or Present Level of Performance) is, as an NCLD parent leader puts it, the heart, soul, and fidelity of your child’s IEP. It details your child’s disability and how it impacts his or her ability to access and make progress in the general education curriculum. You know you have a well-written PLAAFP if a stranger can read it and understand everything about your child’s present levels and educational needs.Who Develops the PLAAFP, or PLOP?The IEP team develops the PLAAFP, or PLOP, to describe your child's present levels of academic and functional performance. This statement should be drawn from a variety of information and data, including information provided by you. It must include information on how your child's disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. The PLAAFP or PLOP establishes the starting point, or baseline, that will be used to develop the IEP's measurable annual goals, so it's important that objective information such as recent test scores and other evaluation data be included in this statement.
Here are examples of inappropriate and appropriate PLOP statements from Chapter 7 of our IDEA Parent Guide:
- Inappropriate: Susan is not progressing adequately in the second grade reading curriculum.
- Appropriate: Susan is reading 15-20 words per minute (WPM) with three to eight errors in second grade material. She reads slowly with inaccurate decoding skills.
