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National Center for Intensive Intervention

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National Center for Intensive Intervention

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Explore all

Educators

Find tools and resources to support general and special education teachers, interventionists, school psychologists, school counselors, and other school-based personnel working with students with intensive academic and behavioral needs.

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Explore all Find tools and resources to support general and special education teachers, interventionists, school psychologists, school counselors, and other school-based personnel working with students with intensive academic and behavioral needs.

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The CEEDAR Center at the University of Florida | The CEEDAR Center

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We believe every student deserves an equitable opportunity to succeed. We partner with state and local agencies and teacher preparation programs to make that a reality.

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"We initially chose IRIS because of the past experiences and their credible research-based, high-quality modules that align with specific areas of growth and need to support a state-directed corrective action plan in our region."

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"We initially chose IRIS because of the past experiences and their credible research-based, high-quality modules that align with specific areas of growth and need to support a state-directed corrective action plan in our region."

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3 Hour Note Taker & Agenda Data-Driven (4)

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_TJ Copy of Creating Data-Driven IEP Goals (with DBI activities)

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The CEEDAR Center at the University of Florida | The CEEDAR Center

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We believe every student deserves an equitable opportunity to succeed. We partner with state and local agencies and teacher preparation programs to make that a reality.

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Sheets for checking Appendix Answers

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Access Google Sheets with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Goal Score = Screening Score + (Rate of Improvement x Number of Weeks)

The screening score comes from the screener that the student completed in the most recent universal screening period. If the progress measure is not the same as the screener, then the teacher needs to administer the screening version of the progress assessment to obtain a screening (i.e., start) score.

The FastBridge system includes a range of rate of improvement (ROI) growth levels for progress measures. The ROI values are based on the average (typical) amount of growth that was made by students in the national normative group. In order to help teachers set appropriate goals for their students, FastBridge categorizes ROI levels into four groups.

Very Realistic : growth that is less than 80% of the average

: growth that is between 81% and 100% of the average

: growth that is between 101% and 120% of the average

Very Ambitious : growth that is between 121% and 150% of the average

The FastBridge system default ROI for each progress measure is set at the top end of the range of ROI values for that measure. This default value equates to the average rate of growth. Users can change the ROI value when creating a progress monitoring schedule so that a lower or higher student goal will be calculated. Here are examples for CBMreading.

Default ROI

135 = 85 + (1.4 x 36)

Lower ROI

121 = 85 + (1 x 36)

Higher ROI

143 = 85 + (1.6 x 36)

The Goal is calculated using the formula above and the higher the ROI value, the higher the goal. It is important to consider how likely a student is to reach the goal in relation to the intervention provided. More frequent and intensive interventions are likely to result in higher growth and goal attainment. The FastBridge Goal score formula is designed to help teachers set goals that students can reasonably attain during the current school year.

The tables below show the ROI ranges and corresponding national growth percentiles, derived from the aggregate growth norms, for FastBridge reading and math progress measures.

Using Letter Sounds as an example, we see that the Very Realistic range corresponds to an average weekly gain, ROI, of less than 1.51 letters per minute. The top end of the range,1.51 corresponds to the 67th national growth percentile. The Realistic range extends from 1.52 through 1.89. The top end of the Realistic range is the default ROI value displayed in the progress monitoring setup to determine an end of year performance target. As shown above, users can change the ROI value when creating progress monitoring schedules so that the student's goal is based on the expected ROI.
ROI Values and Percentile Ranks for FastBridge Progress Measures in Reading ROI Values and Percentile Ranks for FastBridge Progress Measures in Math
*Correct per 10 min on PM report

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Progress Monitoring Goals: Understanding Rates of Improvement for Reading and Math Assessments

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Goal Score = Screening Score + (Rate of Improvement x Number of Weeks) The screening score comes from the screener that the student completed in the most recent universal screening period. If the progress measure is not the same as the screener, then the teacher needs to administer the screening version of the progress assessment to obtain a screening (i.e., start) score.

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Behavior Progress Monitoring Tools Chart

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Use the briefs to evaluate academic interventions available on the academic intervention tools chart across the seven dimensions of the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity.

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The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of behavioral progress monitoring and goal setting to inform data-driven decision making within tiered support models and individualized education programs (IEPs). The guide covers:

components of quality behavioral IEP goals;

how to know which behavior(s) should be addressed through an IEP goal;

information about behavior(s) of concern;

how to set goals and progress monitor;

common challenges and solutions; and

additional resources and tools.

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Strategies for Setting Data-Driven Behavioral Individualized Education Program Goals

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The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of behavioral progress monitoring and goal setting to inform data-driven decision making within tiered support models and individualized education programs (IEPs).

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This module focuses on behavioral progress monitoring within the context of the DBI process and addresses: (a) methods available for behavioral progress monitoring, including but not limited to Direct Behavior Rating (DBR), and (b) using progress monitoring data to make decisions about behavioral interventions.

The module is intended to be delivered by a trained, knowledgeable professional who has experience with behavioral progress monitoring. It includes a PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes and handouts. A coaching guide, intended for coaches supporting school or district implementation of DBI, is also included and provides suggested activities to facilitate planning and application of training content.
PowerPoint Slides (508 Compliant Version) PowerPoint Slides and Notes Handout 1: Student Qualification Sheet Handout 2: Target Behavior Questionnaire Handout 3: ABC Checklist Handout 4: Anecdotal Recording Form Handout 5: Target Behavior Definition Practice Handout 6: Direct Behavior Rating Individualization Form Case Sample 1 Case Sample 2 NCII DBR Graphing Template Coaching Guide V 1.3 DBR Standard Form - Fill-in Behaviors V 1.4 DBR Standard Form with 3 Standard Behaviors
Related Resources

Learn about progress monitoring and find additional professional development resources
DBI Professional Learning Series Progress Monitoring Behavioral Progress Monitoring Tools Chart

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Monitoring Student Progress for Behavioral Interventions (DBI Professional Learning Series Module 3)

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This module focuses on behavioral progress monitoring within the context of the DBI process and addresses: (a) methods available for behavioral progress monitoring, including but not limited to Direct Behavior Rating (DBR), and (b) using progress monitoring data to make decisions about behavioral interventions.

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This Excel tool is designed to help educators collect academic progress monitoring data across multiple measures as a part of the data-based individualization (DBI) process. This tool allows educators to store data for multiple students (across multiple measures), graph student progress, and set individualized goals for a student on specific measures.
Suggested reference:
Kearns, D. M., (August, 2016). Student progress monitoring tool for data collection and graphing [computer software] Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Center on Intensive Intervention.
Student Progress Monitoring Tool for Data Collection and Graphing Instructions
The short video below provides an overview of how to use the tool.

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Data Collection & Graphing Tool: Data & Goal Setting | NCII

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A spreadsheet based tool to help educators collect academic progress monitoring data across multiple measures and set individualized student goals.

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Page 6: High-Quality PLAAFP Statements

Make sure that all of the student's educational needs identified in the evaluation stage are included in the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance section of the IEP.

One of the fundamental components of an IEP, a present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement summarizes the student's current levels of functioning. State and district documentation of this information varies. For example, some PLAAFP statements are written as a single comprehensive summary that covers all areas in which the student needs support; others are written as multiple smaller descriptions that address each area of need separately.

Regardless of the way it is organized, the PLAAFP statement must contain information for each identified area of need based on the results of the student's evaluation (the second step in the IEP process). The PLAAFP statement serves as the foundation from which all other components of the IEP will be built.

At a minimum, the PLAAFP statement must contain information that:

Describes the student's needs in an academic and/or functional skill area

States the impact of the student's disability on her involvement in the general education curriculum

Documents the student's current levels of performance, which will serve as baseline data to measure her subsequent progress
baseline data
The measure of the level of a student's academic or behavioral performance before a change (e.g., instructional or behavioral practice or intervention) is implemented. This information can be compared to data collected after the change has been implemented to evaluate student progress.

Informs the annual goals and the appropriate special education services and supports required to meet those goals

Alphabet Soup

Historically, IEPs contained information about a student's present levels of performance (PLOP), also referred to as present levels of educational performance (PLEP) in some schools or districts. When Congress reauthorized IDEA in 2004, this was changed to the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). The new term highlights the need for special education to address all of a student's needs. The addition of functional performance -nonacademic skills necessary for independent living (e.g., behavior, social skills, communication, independent living skills, and mobility)-reflects an awareness that students with disabilities require more than academic supports if they are to meet their individual goals for long-term success.

PLOP: present levels of performance

Legislation and Litigation

Developing a High-Quality PLAAFP Statement

The IEP team can begin the process of developing a high-quality PLAAFP statement by holding a discussion that centers around the four elements outlined above: student needs, effect on progress in general education, baseline information, and connection to goals and/or services. By doing so, they will begin to assemble the elements that will become the student's PLAAFP statement. The table below poses some questions that can help guide that conversation.

Student Needs

Information on the student's current academic and/or functional needs

What are:

The student's strengths?

The main areas of concern (e.g., academic, functional) and how do these concerns relate to district or state standards and benchmarks and the student's postsecondary interests?

The parents' concerns?

The student's instructional preferences?

The results from the evaluation (e.g., standardized tests, progress monitoring data)?

Ways in which the student's strengths can help address the identified areas of concern?

Effect on Progress in General Education

An explanation of how the disability affects the student's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum

How does the student's disability affect her:

Involvement in general education?

Access to the general education curriculum?

Progress in the general education curriculum?

Baseline Information

Baseline data for monitoring student progress

Are the data being reviewed to determine whether the student is making progress:

And do these data relate to:

Identified areas of concern?

State content standards?

Connection to Goals and/or Services

Bridge between the PLAAFP statement and an annual goal

Is there enough information in the PLAAFP to develop a challenging, ambitious, measurable annual goal?

Is there enough information in the PLAAFP to determine what special education, related services, accommodations, and program modifications are needed?

Note: These are simple "yes" or "no" questions.

When a student's first IEP is developed, much of the information needed for the PLAAFP is collected in the initial assessment. That information is outdated by the time a student's IEP is ready for an annual review, so school personnel will need to collect data prior to the IEP meeting. In this interview, Tamara McLean shares how personnel at her school collaborate to collect the information and draft PLAAFP statements (time: 1:06).

Transcript: Tamara McLean

In my school when we develop the PLAAFP statements, it's a collaboration of many different people. So if it is an O. T. skill, the O.T. is going to develop the wording, but she will send out an information thing to fill out for the gen ed teacher, for the special ed teacher, on those areas so they can see how it plays out in the classroom versus just their one-on-one setting. The case manager is really only going to develop the areas that they serve. So if a child has an IEP that has math service and it has reading service, the person who delivers the reading service is going to be the person who actually fills in that part of the IEP. But they're going to reach out to the reading teacher as well and get information for how that plays out in the general education classroom. Really, it is a collaboration for all areas because whether it's pre-vocational, whether it's social-emotional, whether it's math, whether it's reading, it's not just going to be one person who has information on that.

After the IEP team has discussed the information above, they can begin to write the PLAAFP statement. As they do so, they should keep in mind that this statement should be written in concise, specific, and clear language that can be easily understood by all members of the IEP team. It should not merely identify the student's disability and list the various assessment scores, but instead should provide enough information to inform the development of the student's annual goals. The table below contains portions of one student's PLAAFP statement that relate to his reading skills and shows how each element is addressed.

Student Needs

K is a 9-year-old, 4th-grade student who is eligible for special education services under the category of Specific Learning Disability. K has strong expressive and receptive language skills and a large vocabulary. As a result, he actively engages in class discussions and performs well on tasks that require auditory comprehension (e.g., following multi-step directions, answering comprehension questions about class discussions or about passages that are read to him). His strong communication skills have also earned him the friendship and respect of his peers, many of whom look to K as a class leader.

K's learning disability negatively affects his decoding skills, which are at a low 2nd-grade level. His broad reading scores on standardized tests are:

In addition to school-based concerns, K's parents worry about the effects of his learning disability outside of school. For example, K avoids games that involve even a little bit of reading, resulting in some conflicts during weekly family game nights, which often involve board games. When the family eats out, K prefers one restaurant whose menu he has memorized and protests if a new restaurant is selected due to anxiety about reading an unfamiliar menu.

Effect on Progress in General Education

The 4th-grade curriculum involves many independent reading activities. K's decoding problems affect his performance in the general education setting because he cannot independently read items like written instructions, worksheets, or content area texts. He is self-conscious about his reading difficulties and works hard to hide his reading struggles from his classmates. As a result, he is unwilling to utilize text-to-speech technologies on his tablet, even with headphones, or partner with a peer reader.

Baseline Information

K is currently reading 54 words correct per minute (wpm) on a 2nd-grade reading probe, which is slightly higher than the 2nd-grade fall benchmark of 50 wpm. The 4th-grade fall benchmark is 95 wpm on a 4th-grade reading probe.

Connection to Goals and/or Services

Yes, there is enough information to determine annual goals and/or services and supports.

Did You Know?

For preschool children, the part of the statement describing how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum is different. In their case, that portion of the statement describes how the child's disability affects her participation in appropriate activities.

This toolbox describes additional resources related to the information presented on this page. These resources are provided for informational purposes only for those who wish to learn more about the topic(s). It is not necessary for those working through this module to read or refer to all of these additional resources to understand the content.

This IRIS Case Study describes how to clearly define a student's behavior so that when they occur they can be reliably identified, measured, or counted. It goes deeper into the methods needed to collect baseline data and then determine whether the student has made progress.

Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance (PLAAFPs)
Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) Statements

Both of the Kansas SDE documents above explain each of the elements within a high-quality PLAAFP statement. The first lists additional considerations for infants and toddlers, behavior, severe disabilities, and secondary transition-related issues. The second introduces the connection between the PLAAFP statements and the annual goals, with examples.
Present Levels
This Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR) document provides additional detail on both academic and functional skills, as well as examples across a wide range of skill areas.

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IRIS | Page 6: High-Quality PLAAFP Statements

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Make sure that all of the student's educational needs identified in the evaluation stage are included in the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance section of the IEP. One of the fundamental components of an IEP, a present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement summarizes the student's current levels of functioning.

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National Center on Intensive Intervention

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What is the Endrew F. decision and how does it impact writing a student's IEP?