| Individualized
Education Programs (IEPs) |
|
Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional
Performance |
Present
Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance
systematically take into consideration an individual's abilities
and needs based on ongoing assessment of the individual's
progress in the curriculum. Policy 2419 requires that the
student's results on the state's standardized assessment,
WESTEST 2, be reported. Present Levels of Academic Achievement
and Functional Performance narrative should be written in
objective, measurable terms and easy-to-understand, non-technical
language. It should establish the basis for the annual goals
and special education and related services. For gifted students,
a statement is required regarding the impact that giftedness
has on making progress in the curriculum and growth in achievement.
(See example below.)
INDIVIDUALIZED
EDUCATION PROGRAM
Student’s
Full Name - Jane Doe
Date 3/15/09
PART
VII: PRESENT LEVELS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL
PERFORMANCE
Narrative
Descriptions of Present Levels of Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance (refer to IEP Instructions) Add pages
as needed.
General Information
Jane, who will be in 7th grade in the 2009-2010 school
year, scored at the Distinguished Level in Reading/Language
Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies on the 6th grade
2008 WESTEST 2. Using the Acuity assessment tool, Jane demonstrated
above mastery level skills in the 7th grade WV math curriculum
using an above-grade level custom-made math test in Acuity.
Using teacher-made rubrics and checklists, Jane demonstrated
mastery and above level skills in the 6th grade Reading/Language
Arts, Writing, Science and Social Studies curriculum. General
education teachers report that she successfully completes
all assignments and participates in class discussions.
Given a learning styles inventory, Jane is a logical/mathematic
learner who learns best by using logic and patterns to solve
problems. She will benefit from the provision of logical
activities involving equations to solve a real-world problem.
Jane would also benefit from activities that develop verbal/linguistic
skills in order to better communicate math and logic skills.
Given an interest inventory, Jane shows an interest in math
and computers and wishes to pursue a career that involves
math.
Given the Learning Skills/Behavior Rubric, Jane scored
in the Developing range overall. Her weakest area was “Gathering
Data” – “uses all available sensory pathways
to learn and transfers the information to improve overall
learning; can distinguish fact from fiction.” Another
area in which she showed limited skills was “Thinking
Flexibly” – “considers new information
and demonstrates ability to change direction or use different
strategies when needed.” In addition, limited skills
were demonstrated in “Persisting” – “sustains
problem solving process over time” and “Questioning
and Posing Problems” – “probes deeper
into an issue or problem and sees alternate points of view.”
Writing
Jane has mastered 6th grade Writing CSOs at the distinguished
level on the 6th grade WESTEST 2. To further develop her
verbal/linguistic skills and to differentiate a writing
product as a 7th grader, she will develop an informational
brochure. Jane will also benefit from activities that develop
effective communication of her research using spoken, written,
and visual language for a variety of audiences and for different
purposes.
Math
As the assessment of above-grade level
skills in math indicates, Jane has already mastered the
7th grade math curriculum. She also has a great interest
in math and wishes to pursue a career that involves math.
Therefore, Jane will be accelerated in the math curriculum
to Algebra I.
Functional Skills
At this time, the data does not indicate the need for
acceleration to the next grade level in reading/language
arts, science and social studies. Jane continues to need
the provision of extension activities and more in-depth
study of topics focusing on higher-order thinking skills
to enrich the grade-level curriculum.
Activities that develop critical thinking such as analysis
of the text by distinguishing between fact and opinion,
determining the credibility of the source, evaluating its
relevance in present day living, and predicting any impact
on future living; the application of the steps of a problem-solving
model to complete a project; and planning, developing, organizing,
and delivering a research project with documented sources,
in-text citations to avoid plagiarism, and computer-generated
graphic aids, will be provided.
The
IEP must address the unique needs of the student that result
from his or her giftedness and plan the specialized instruction
and related services to meet those needs. "Needs"
in this sense does not necessarily mean "deficits."
Research indicates that students identified as gifted need
learning experiences that extend beyond the core curriculum
in content, process and product.
Content - advanced or accelerated; enriched/greater
depth
Process
- address different learning styles; use different models/mind-maps/charts;
problem-solving, critical thinking
Product - complex; creative; performance-based
If
the student appears to be underachieving, by definition,
this should be addressed in the present levels. The reason(s)
for underachievement are complex. If the reason is a suspected
disability, an evaluation and determination of the disability
as defined in WV Policy 2419 is required. If not due to
a disability, the IEP Team should try to determine the reason(s)
and decide how to address those.
Working definition:
Underachievers are students who exhibit
an observable discrepancy between expected achievement
(as measured by a comprehensive test of cognitive or intellectual
ability and and actual achievement (as
measured by class grades, teacher evaluations or standardized
achievement tests).
Must NOT be the result of a diagnosed learning disability
and must persist over a one year period.
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