Developing Standards-Based IEPs for Transition
Guidance Document
PLEASANTS COUNTY SCHOOL
Step One:
Create New IEP. Use current school year. Complete the ESY section. On IEP considerations, check yes
for all that apply. For rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, indicate Department of Rehabilitation Services
will attend. (This is new, as the rules for DRS have changed and Tammy Cross will be assigned to ALL
high schools only.)
Gather the following documents to assist with the development of the IEP:








Current grades (from WVEIS or from the counselor)
Classroom teacher reports
ACT Explore and/or ACT Plan
Student PEP Plan (if available)
Notes from Student Interview
Copy of Support for Standards-Based Individualized Education Programs: English Language Arts K-12 (if student
requires ELA goals and services.)
Copy of Support for Standards-Based Individualized Education Programs: Mathematics K-8, Math 9 or Next
Generation Mathematics Content Standards & Objectives for West Virginia Schools Guidance Document for
Secondary Mathematics or Next Generation CSOs Reference Packet Mathematics High School Math (if the
student requires Math goals and services.)
Policy 4373 Behavior Objectives for IEPs (if the student requires behavior goals and services.)
Step Two:



Transition Planning: Under Considerations, if the student is currently 16, you must do notification of Age
of Majority. Parent and student must initial this. There is a brochure that you should provide to the
parent explaining this process. Under Transition Assessments Reviewed, list ACT Explore (taken in 8th
grade) and/or ACT Plan (taken in 10th grade.) You should also indicate Student Interview/Survey. Talk to
the student about their CURRENT plans for post-secondary. You will use this information on the
transition page. You will also document the information from these sources on the present levels. Under
Post-Secondary Goals – use the information from the ACT Plan, ACT Explore, Student Interview, and/or
PEP Plan (if available).
EDUCATION/TRAINING – Joe plans to attend a technical school and obtain a certificate in welding; Susan plans to
obtain an associate’s degree in nursing; Carla plans to receive on-the-job training in the fast food industry.
EMPLOYMENT – Joe plans to work at a local automotive shop as a mechanic; Susan plans to work in a hospital as
an RN; Carla plans to work at a local fast food restaurant as a server and/or cook.
ADULT LIVING – Joe plans to live independently after completing technical school; Susan plans to live on a college
campus, then independently following college; Carla plans to live independently with her husband.
Fill in the Career Pathway/Cluster/Concentration based on the information that the student has shared
with you, the information on the PEP plan, and/or the information from the ACT Plan or ACT Explore.
The online IEP still requests a pathway, although we no longer use this language. For now, as a basic
rule of thumb, indicate Skilled if the student is going to any post-secondary training other than college.
Indicate Professional if the student is planning to attend a 2 year or 4 year college and obtain a degree.
Under Transition Services, always indicate Instruction. The SCHOOL is the lead and the service is IEP
GOALS.
Step Three:
Prepare the Present Levels.
Begin with General Information on all students. Complete these PLPs first with a general overview of the
student.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Joe is completing his 9th grade year at SMHS and will be in 10th grade beginning with the
2015-2016 school year. Joe is a very social student and gets along well with his peers. He is very mechanically
inclined and loves to do things with his hands. He is currently planning to become a welder and/or an
automotive mechanic. He loves to work with small engines and plans to attend the MOVTI. His teachers report
that he is a joy to have in class and always participates in class discussions.
THEN - For English/Language Arts and Mathematics ONLY – the PLPs consist of the following:
1)Grade Level Expectations; 2) The student’s gaps in learning or what they cannot do that keeps them
from reaching those expectations, as well as their strengths and weaknesses; 3) Targeted Content
Standards; 4) Impact Statement. For all other areas (i.e. behavior, functional, etc.), you only need to 1)
List the student’s present levels including their strengths/weaknesses/needs, and 2) the Impact
Statement.
To enter the information for ELA and/or Mathematics in the online IEP program:
First, select the appropriate grade level and the subject (i.e. English 10, Math 9).
Pull up the NxG CSOs
for that grade level and copy and paste from the mastery statement into the PLPs what a student at this
grade level should be able to do. This is the Grade Level Expectation.

ENGLISH 10 EXPECTATIONS: Tenth grade students at the mastery level read and comprehend literary and

informational texts in the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. They write over
extended time frames for research-based projects and shorter time frames for specific tasks, purposes and
audiences.
MATH I EXPECTATIONS: Math I students at the mastery level use unity analysis to determine procedures to solve
problems; express numerical answers with a degree of precision appropriate for the problem context, and
analyze the relationship between quantities in problem situations and represent them as equations and
inequalities to solve problems.
Second, write the present levels based on the previous IEP, classroom teacher reports, etc. Include
gaps in the student’s learning that is preventing him/her from being able to access grade level standards.

ENGLISH PRESENT LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE: According to recent formative assessments, classroom observations

and teacher reports, Joe is reading below grade level. He has difficulty with decoding unfamiliar words and
reading fluently. He cannot determine main idea and key elements from his reading, but this improves greatly
when he is able to hear the information. He has difficulty taking notes and needs an outline or organizer to
assist with this task. When writing, he has difficulty organizing his thoughts on paper. Most of his sentences are
simple sentences. He also struggles with spelling. He is able to use the spell checker effectively when writing
with computer programs. He is able to articulate his thoughts well orally.
MATH PRESENT LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE: According to classroom assignments and assessments, Joe knows his
multiplication facts and can complete addition, subtraction and multiplication problems with whole numbers
and decimals with accuracy. He understands the concepts of fractions, but often forgets the process required
for addition and subtraction of fractions. When presented with a word problem, however, Joe struggles to
determine the appropriate operation needed to complete the task. He requires scaffolds such as key words
identified to assist with this. When an equation is already set up for him, he can complete the required steps if
provided visual assistance, such as example problems. He is unable to independently complete this process.
Third, look at the present levels and determine the areas the student needs direct instruction in (i.e.
comprehension, writing, fluency, informational texts, understanding main ideas, decoding, etc…) Look at
the areas in the book or online. Areas may include Key Ideas, Craft and Structure, Range of Reading and
Level of Text Complexity, Text Types and Purposes,, Production and Distribution of Writing,
Knowledge of Language, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use; Math – Reason Quantitatively and Use Units
to Solve Problems, Interpret the Structure of Expressions, Create Equations that Describe Numbers or
Relationships, Solve Systems of Equations, etc. (There are several more categories that you may need to
choose from, depending on the student’s specific weaknesses and areas of need.) After selecting the
areas the student needs instruction in, select the content standards in that area that you will focus on for
specially designed instruction. Copy and paste these standards in the present levels section.

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS:
o
o
o




the course of the informational text, including how they emerge and are shaped and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the informational text.
ELA.10.R.C4.2 by the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction, independently and
proficiently, at the high end of the grade 9-10 complexity band.
ELA.10.W.C12.1 write routinely over time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter
time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences.
MATHEMATICS I CONTENT STANDARDS:
o
M.1HS.RBQ.1 use units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step
o
problems; choose and interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the
origin in graphs and data displays.
M.1HS.RBQ.5 CREATE EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES IN ONE VARIABLE AND USE THEM TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS. Include equations arising from linear and quadratic functions, and simple rational and
exponential functions.
Step Four:

ELA.10.R.C1.5 determine two central ideas of an informational text and analyze their development over
Write impact statement(s). This must be done for EVERY area of present levels, including behavior,
functional skills, ELA, math, etc. When writing an impact statement, do not state the area or disability as
the cause (i.e. Because Joe has a learning disability…). Instead, discuss the weaknesses caused by the
disability (i.e. Because Joe has difficulty with grade level texts… because Joe’s fluency is low… because
Joe has organizational issues due to attention deficits… Due to Joe’s sensory issues… because Joe has
issues with change). Describe how this impacts his/her progress in the curriculum and classroom.
IMPACT STATEMENT FOR ENGLISH PLPS: Joe’s difficulty with decoding and comprehension and writing skills
impacts his ability to complete classroom reading and writing assignments. This will impact him in any class
requiring independent reading and/or writing.
IMPACT STATEMENT FOR MATH PLPS: Joe’s significant deficits in reading and in understanding written problems
will impact his ability to perform in courses that require mathematic understanding, including math, science and
MOVTI coursework.
IMPACT STATEMENT FOR BEHAVIOR: Joe’s lack of organizational skills will impact his successful completion of
homework/assignments performance in all courses.
IMPACT STATEMENT FOR BEHAVIOR: Susan’s sensory issues will impact her ability to adapt to changes in all school
environments.
Step Five:
Write measureable goals and objectives. These should follow the SMART Goal protocol (Specific,
Measurable, Action oriented, Realistic and relevant, Time bound (within one year). There are four
components of goals on the IEP including timeframe, conditions, who/behavior, and evaluation/criterion.
The IEP team must consider how each need impacts the student’s progress in his/her transition goal’s
and the classroom setting. Select the needs that have the greatest impact on progress and reflect the
targeted content standards. Develop goals to address those needs. (HINT: These are the standards and
objectives that you should choose in Step Four. This makes writing the goals much easier. IF you have
selected the appropriate objectives, this step is almost completed already! The books you used to target
the standards and the mastery levels actually has some goals you may want to use.) Be sure to include
all parts of a SMART goal in each of the student goals.





In what amount of time? – By April 2016, by December 2015, etc.
Under what conditions? – When provided direct instruction, picture schedules, peer buddy, scaffolds, social
stories, timers, prompts, etc.
The student will do what? – The student will find, compare, contrast, identify, read, compose, classify, extend,
solve, respond, demonstrate, point to, touch, tell verbally, etc.
To what level or degree? – 3 out of 4 times, 80% accuracy, 100% of the time, etc.
Through what assessment? – through observation and therapy logs, checklist, classroom tests and assignments,
discipline records, etc.
AFTER THIS, IT WILL BE A BREEZE!!! Just complete the remainder of the
IEP as you have in the past.