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How to Read an IEP: New York

Understanding Present Levels of Performance and Measurable Annual Goals

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New York IEP Guide: Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance

What is the present levels section of an IEP?

This is one of the meatiest sections of the IEP! This is where the IEP team lists the students academic and functional levels of performance. This is where you start to get a sense of where the student is at– and this section sets up the goals. Like if a student has difficulty decoding, you would see it here– and then should see a goal about it later in the IEP. 

Because IEPs are written on all areas of student need, present levels sections include information on the student’s physical, socioemotional, development, and communication baseline as well as on their academics. There is a lot of variation in how districts label the various parts of this section but in every single one you should learn about a student’s skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and their overall development. In most districts that means communication, motor skills, and socioemotional skills– but some districts jumble those together and so omit any areas where the student does not have a need. In California, that would have gotten you in trouble on a state audit but in New Hampshire it is pretty standard not to see anything about motor skills in an IEP– so there is some variation state by state.

Arizona, which combines this section with the student strengths, has a nice clean lay out for this section. Click read more to see how Arizona divided up this section in the sub-sections I talked about of communication, academics, and so on. 

Now, take a look at this section of the IEP from the Fresno district in California. They too have a section for communication and motor skills, but academic and functional skills are one sub-section that also includes socioemotional stuff. 

The IEP from Oregon has only two sub-boxes– one for academic performance and one for developmental and functional development. In NH (not shown), there are three boxes– one for academic performance, one for functional, and one for developmental– and no one really has a clue how to figure out what goes in the functional versus developmental boxes! 

You can see that the amount of content in the boxes varies a lot as does their labels but somehow, every single IEP from every single district is trying to provide a holistic picture of the student’s skills.

The filled out examples on the left are helpful to look at to get a sense of how long this section can be– because when I say this is the meatiest section of the IEP, I mean it is the longest!

Where are the present levels in the IEP?

Typically, this is right after the student strengths section on the second or third page of the IEP. There are a few rebel districts that shift a lot of this information to the student goals section or hide it later in the IEP, but generally this is near the beginning of the IEP.

How do present levels sections of an IEP vary across states and districts?

Every single IEP has present levels of some form. They have to. Some include strengths in it, some don’t. Some divide them up by communication, academic, and so on. Some don’t. Some even put the present levels in the goals. But every district has them– and they should all cover similar content. The labels that districts use and the number of boxes does matter though– the boxes guide what folks write so you will see different emphases district to district with maybe a child’s motor present levels being addressed in one and glossed over in another based on whether there is a box that asks about motor skills specifically.

What does the IDEA law say about present levels?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that the IEP has to have a “statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance,” aka a PLAAFP. That means a statement of where the student is academically (aka reading, writing, and math) and functionally (communication, socioemotional, motor, etc). 

What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(1)

(1) A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including—
(i) How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children); or
(ii) For preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child’s participation in appropriate activities;

This IEP comes from the Rochester City School District. See the full IEP here. 

Because the images are hard to read, a transcript is below.

PRESENT LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE AND INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

DOCUMENTATION OF STUDENT’S CURRENT PERFORMANCE AND ACADEMIC, DEVELOPMENTAL AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS

EVALUATION RESULTS (INCLUDING FOR SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS, PERFORMANCE ON STATE AND DISTRICT-WIDE ASSESSMENTS)

Refer to General Directions Document http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/formsnotices/IEP/home.html

In this section evaluation information will be added and described; may need to coordinate with psychologists and/or secretaries. It CANNOT be left blank. Include title of assessment (this is not required, but is best practice and usually included), date and results. A summary of the interpretation of the scores, including the instructionally relevant information understandable to the parent and educational team should be included in this section. Instructional implications of an assessment can then be further summarized or included in the appropriate section of the PLPs.

  • Psychological Assessment

  • Educational Assessment

  • Speech & Language, PT, OT & other related service assessments

  • Physical Examination, Medical assessment

  • Classroom Observation

  • Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

  • Level 1/Transition Assessment

  • LAB-R, NYSESLAT (for LEP/ELLs)

  • State & District-wide Assessments; Transcript Information, Credits earned

CITATION Ia: Under the student’s present levels of performance, the IEP includes a statement of the student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences and interests, as they relate to transition from school to post-school activities.

CITATION IIIa: If the purpose of a CSE meeting is to consider post-secondary goals for the student and the transition service needed to assist the student in reaching those goals, the school district invites the student. If the student does not attend, the district takes steps to ensure that the student’s preferences and interests are considered.

“According to an age appropriate transition assessment (Level One Assessment/Age Appropriate Transition Assessment), (student’s name)
stated that s/he is interested in becoming a _______________ upon completion of high school. In order to be successful, s/he will need
to develop skills in ________________ (identify skills needed, high school degree requirement, experiences needed, etc.).”

“While completing an age appropriate transition assessment (Student’s name) had stated that s/he is unaware of what s/he wants to do in the
future but has shown an interest in _______________. In order to plan for the future, (student’s name) will need to explore various
options that match his/her interests and strengths. In order to accomplish this, s/he will need to complete an interest inventory. (NOTE: This
can then be an activity listed in the Coordinated Set of Activities under the Development of Employment.)”

“In completing an age appropriate transition assessment (Level One Assessment), (student’s name) identified, expressed interest, discussed,
said…”

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS

LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT IN SUBJECT AND SKILL AREAS INCLUDING ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, LEVEL OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING, ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR, EXPECTED RATE OF PROGRESS IN ACQUIRING SKILLS AND INFORMATION, AND LEARNING STYLE:

Refer to NYSED Guide to Quality Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development and Implementation
www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/formsnotices/IEPguideFeb2010.pdf

Provide description of Student’s Current Level of Performance. This is BASELINE DATA – the “CAN DO” in the “CAN’T DO” Areas; Include
Progress toward meeting Annual Goals; “WHAT WORKS” – (Specific Strategies, Supports and Instructional Methodologies that Support
Progress made); Describe the Impact of the Disability; Manifestations or Characteristics of the Disability that have been Observed.

  • Expected rate of progress: (Includes current grades, effort, motivation, assessment implications, etc.)

  • Functional performance

  • Activities of daily living

  • Communication/language

  • Reading/writing

  • Math

  • Organization/attention

  • Transition between/among activities

  • Learning style

“Currently, (student’s name) is able to do _______________ (fill in what s/he can do in relation to the skills needed for his/her future goal
as specifically as possible) but will need to work on ______________ (fill in what s/he needs to work on in detail) in order to be
successful as a _________________.”

STUDENT STRENGTHS, PREFERENCES, INTERESTS:

Identify the student’s strengths, social skills, consider interests and community experiences.

“According to an age appropriate transition assessment (Level One Assessment/Age Appropriate Transition Assessment), (student’s name)
states that s/he is interested in becoming a ______________ upon completion of high school. He/she exhibits strengths in the area of
______________ that will assist him/her in achieving this goal.”

ACADEMIC, DEVELOPMENTAL AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS OF THE STUDENT, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF STUDENT NEEDS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO THE PARENT:

Identify the student’s SPECIFIC skill deficits as noted in the teacher report and performance areas;
DO NOT include recommendations for services or management needs.
Parent’s/student’s voice regarding student’s needs/skill deficits is clearly stated; provide parents with multiple opportunities to provide
input, document (in student file) multiple attempts to contact parent (parent/teacher conferences, phone contact, e-mail, parent
survey/questionnaire).
Best practice is to include a null statement (e.g. “Parent does not identify any concerns at this time”) if no parent concerns are
indicated.

“The student will need to develop skills in the area of _______________ in order to be successful in a training program or workplace.”
“As an employee in any career field, the student will need to develop skills in _______________ (identify skills student needs to continue
to develop as it relates to the disability) in order to be successful in achieving post secondary goals.”
“Family members state that organization is a skill that (student’s name) need to develop to be successful at school and in the future for work.”

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

THE DEGREE (EXTENT) AND QUALITY OF THE STUDENT’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND ADULTS; FEELINGS ABOUT SELF; AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT TO SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTS:

Give examples of what specific behaviors look like (include data) and possible strategies that work.

  • Student’s relationship with adults and peers, social skills

  • Ability to accept guidance or assistance from others

  • Student’s feelings of self, level of maturity

  • Self-determination, self-advocacy skills

  • Play skills, taking turns, sharing (for preschoolers, early elementary)

  • Ability to work cooperatively with peers

  • Adjustment to School and Community
    (Refer to SCANS and CDOS Skills for post-secondary training)

STUDENT STRENGTHS:

“Student’s name has stated that s/he is unsure of what s/he wants to do in the future but has shown an interest in _______________.”
“Identify the student’s strengths, social skills, consider peer interaction and community experiences.”
“Socially, (student’s name) has many peers. This will help the student be successful in the field of _______________ as it requires
social interaction.”

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF THE STUDENT, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF STUDENT NEEDS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO THE PARENT:
Identify the skills deficits as noted in the current level of ability.
Include the parent’s voice relating to concerns noted.

“In order to plan for the future, (student’s name) will need to explore various career options that match his/her interests and strengths. In order
to accomplish this, s/he will need to complete an interest inventory. (NOTE: This can then be an activity listed in the Coordinated Set of
Activities under the Development of Employment.)”

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

THE DEGREE (EXTENT) AND QUALITY OF THE STUDENT’S MOTOR AND SENSORY DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH, VITALITY AND PHYSICAL SKILLS OR LIMITATIONS WHICH PERTAIN TO THE LEARNING PROCESS:

Include information related to gross, fine, & grapho-motor skills, sensory needs, medical conditions and/or medications as they impact
educational performance, physical limitations or endurance. Can describe medical equipment (wheelchair, crutches, braces, AFO’s,
splints, etc.) if applicable in this section.

STUDENT STRENGTHS:
Consider student’s health, fitness and nutritional status; attendance, recreational interests, participation in physical education,
sports or extracurricular activities.

“(Student’s name) enjoys physical activity and is likely to be successful in the area of _______________ as it requires hands-on
involvement to complete work tasks.”

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF THE STUDENT, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF STUDENT NEEDS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO THE PARENT:
Include skill deficits impacted by the student’s disability; if disability does not impact this (or any other) area—include null statement:

“There are no disability related needs at this time.”

Parent/student concerns

“Student and parent indicate a need for (student’s name) to organize his/her medications so he/she can be independent in taking medications
in the future.”

MANAGEMENT NEEDS

THE NATURE (TYPE) AND DEGREE (EXTENT) TO WHICH ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN OR MATERIAL RESOURCES ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS NEEDS IDENTIFIED ABOVE:

ONLY needs are included in this section. Include supports, strategies to be provided by the teachers, related services and support staff.
Needs should relate to the information (what works) and needs identified in the previous PLP sections. DO NOT include programs and
services (1:1 aide) but WHAT that service is needed for (e.g. adult prompting and redirection).

Environmental Resources — adapted routine or schedule, preferential seating (describe), size of group during instruction, additional
transition time
Human Resources — adult supervision, guidance or assistance to provide support, strategies, accommodations noted in PLP
Material Resources — adaptive equipment/furniture, alternate instructional materials, assistive technology (high and low tech), graphic
organizer, study guide, copy of notes, health care plan, etc.

EFFECT OF STUDENT NEEDS ON INVOLVEMENT AND PROGRESS IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM OR, FOR A PRESCHOOL STUDENT, EFFECT OF STUDENT NEEDS ON PARTICIPATION IN APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES

Manifestation of disability in Gen ED SETTING (“Appropriate activities” ONLY refer to preschoolers). Describe the characteristics of the
disability observed consistently that impacts the student’s ability to participate and show progress in the general education curriculum.

 
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?

The present levels section should tell you what a student can do right now. That includes in reading. What level of text can they read? How is their decoding, fluency, comprehension? For areas where the student is working at grade level this might be as short as, “Juan is decoding and understanding tests at grade level according to classroom assessments.” Similarly, you should get useful information about the students’ knowledge of and skills in mathematics and writing. This should not just be test scores. It should be information that makes sense to a parent or a general education teacher. Jargon is a red flag. Often jargon and numbers means the case manager didn’t actually do assessments for the annual IEP– the numbers are often years out of date and a way to hide that no new assessments were done. 

This section should also include more than academics. For example, there needs to be something in here about the student’s socioemotional well being and behaviors. If there are no concerns, awesome– it should say that. But in today’s world, how many kids with IEPs or kids in general are really totally fine? Not shy, not anxious, not disorganized at all? This section needs to include that information too– you want a complete picture of the student. If you don’t see that, then that’s a red flag. 

Present levels also should include communication and motor skills information. If a student has concerns in these areas, those sections should be filled in by a SLP or OT or PT or APE teacher. If there are statements about concerns on any of those areas, that student should have services in those areas. If they don’t, that’s a red flag. If a student is in 5th grade and wiping out going down the stairs on the regular and that isn’t in the IEP, you want to know if a PT has screened the student. This is an area where you know you student/child– are all concerns reflected here and linked to services and goals? Or at least acknowledged with a note that there was a screening done?

Broadly, you need to see that all information in the present levels is current, intelligible to humans (not just numbers and jargon), reflective of the teams’ concerns, and linked to both goals and services. If there are a lot of concerns, you expect to see a lot of goals and services. If there aren’t a ton, then you expect to see that student on their own a lot in general education being successful. 

When and how should I get help?

It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.

If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.

Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:

‘‘(vi) at the discretion of the parent or the agency,
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
What are the disclaimers?

This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only. 

If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.

Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.

New York IEP Guide: Measurable Annual Goals

What are the annual goals in an IEP?

This is one of the most, if not the most, important part of the IEP. This is where the IEP team lays out what the student will be working on with special education support over the next year. Generally, the goals written by the special education teacher fall into the reading, writing, math, and socioemotional buckets. So you might see a goal for reading comprehension, one for multivariable equations, and one for work completion or managing frustration. Related service providers, like speech and language pathologists or counselors, will also write their own goals so there might also be goals from them on communication, self-regulation, or other skills. Generally, looking at a student’s goals gives you the best sense of where the student is and the biggest thing the team thinks they need to work on. 

Each goal will have two key parts– the goal itself, which should be measurable and easy to understand– and a baseline which says where a student is now. You might also see benchmarks, also known as objectives. These are ways to break down the goal for monitoring at report card intervals. Fun fact, if you didn’t know– special education teachers are responsible for reporting on each student’s progress towards each goal at report card intervals. So when you do report card (or they do, depending on the school), they are also writing narratives on every single goal. That’s one of the main reasons that special education teachers work to keep goals to a minimum– don’t assume that all of a student’s needs are covered by their goals. Instead, assume that the goals are the biggest needs and the special education teacher was refusing to do bonus paperwork for the lesser needs. In line with this, a lot of goals will also tell you how the parent will be notified of progress. Regardless of language, assume that when the report card goes home, parents are supposed to also get a goals’ progress narrative. 

Where are the annual goals found in an IEP?

Goals are always after the present levels. In some districts, they are the last things in the IEPs. In others, they are in the middle, but they are always after the present levels.

How do goals vary across states and districts?

Every single district will have measurable annual goals and baselines. Some districts split up the baselines, like listing an academic and functional baseline. Some don’t. Some list the quarterly benchmarks in the IEP. Some don’t. Some districts use goal writing tools that write weird, generic goals. Some don’t. But because IEP goals are the heart of an IEP, every single district will have them– and will have the goal and the baseline in separate boxes.

What does the IDEA law say about goals?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law behind special education, says that IEP goals have to be measurable, help the student move towards meeting grade level standards, meet the student’s other educational needs, and have benchmarks to ensure progress monitoring. The exact wording is below.

34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(2).

(2)
(i) A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to—
(A) Meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and
(B) Meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability;
(ii) For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives;
(3) A description of—
(i) How the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals described in paragraph (2) of this section will be measured; and
(ii) When periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals (such as through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards) will be provided;

This IEP comes from the Rochester City School District. See the full IEP here. 

Because the images can be hard to read, a transcript is below.

MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOALS

THE FOLLOWING GOALS ARE RECOMMENDED TO ENABLE THE STUDENT TO BE INVOLVED IN AND PROGRESS IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM, ADDRESS OTHER EDUCATIONAL NEEDS THAT RESULT FROM THE STUDENT’S DISABILITY, AND PREPARE THE STUDENT TO MEET HIS/HER POSTSECONDARY GOALS. COLLABORATE WITH GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS AND PARENTS

ANNUAL GOALS<br>WHAT THE STUDENT WILL BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE BY THE END OF THE YEAR IN WHICH THE IEP IS IN EFFECT<br>THE GOAL MUST BE MASTERED IN ONE YEAR.CRITERIA<br>MEASURE TO DETERMINE IF GOAL HAS BEEN ACHIEVEDMETHOD<br>HOW PROGRESS WILL BE MEASUREDSCHEDULE<br>WHEN PROGRESS WILL BE MEASURED
Student will (do what [skill, behavior], to what extent [anticipated level—relates to baseline identified in PLP], under what conditions [across settings, in a specific situation] or givens [graphic organizer, equipment, strategies, etc]).
● Reasonable in number—to achieve in one year. Average # of goals depends on the severity of student needs
● ALL teachers and providers working with the student are responsible for instruction & progress monitoring of annual goals
● Team goals—No service-specific goals (ex. No OT, PT or Speech goals)—must be		How well and over what period of time will student perform skill/behavior to indicate mastery of skill (must be possible to achieve in one year)Identify the procedures or methods used to collect data to monitor progress.
Must be tangible—charts, checklists, rubric, student work samples, teacher made tests, etc. (teacher observation is not tangible)		How often methods will be used to review the data so progress can be monitored.
Evaluation schedule should be frequent enough to allow adjustments to instruction; it could be different for each goal.
THIS IS NOT WHEN YOU REPORT PROGRESS TO

New York State Education Department IEP Form

  • Educationally based, not medically or curriculum related

  • Must correspond to need/skill deficit in PLP

  • Must be skill-based, not curriculum-based

  • Must not be a GenEd expectation or curriculum requirement of all students.

CITATION Ic: The IEP list measurable annual goals related to the student’s transition service needs.

Given a task requiring organization of 2 or more steps, student will verbally identify steps needed to complete the task and will complete the task independently.In 3 out of 5 trials daily with less than 2 verbal promptsStudent checklist and work samplesWeekly

PARENTS

What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?

So the big focus of this entire website is on how to write strong goals– that means that if you want a detailed answer to this question, click on the goals tab! But the short answer is that you want to see goals that make sense. You know your student or child. What are their biggest areas of need? IEP goals don’t cover everything– but whatever you think are the most pressing issues need to be in the goals. You also should see language that makes sense. You need to be able to read these and immediately know what the student needs to do and what they can do now. The goals drive special education supports so if they don’t make sense, it is likely the services your student/child receives won’t either.

When and how should I get help?

It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.

If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.

Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:

‘‘(vi) at the discretion of the parent or the agency,
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
What are the disclaimers?

This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only. 

If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.

Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.

Learn More About New York IEP Sections

Find high-quality resources for special education assessments, IEPs, and instruction.

Author and Vetted by Rose Sebastian, EdD. Founder of Spedhelper. Special education expert specializing in IDEA-compliant IEP development.
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