Introduction
A student’s academic journey involves many barriers and obstacles, overcoming which often determines educational success. In practice, no universal rule explains why some students are more successful at learning and testing new knowledge than others — it is an individualized learning process influenced by many factors (Zeineddine et al., 2021). What is known for sure is that the education system should be designed to promote each student’s full academic potential and, thus, high achievement, regardless of the factors and predictors that determine each student’s particular pathway.
In simple words, the education system should be designed so that an excellent student from a well-to-do family with a rich pedigree of scientist relatives and an average student with no apparent talent for science are equal in their ability to achieve results on their academic path. This paper proposes a more detailed and critical discussion of the importance of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) as components of quality, structured student learning.
Importance of IEP and PLAAFP
IEP
One pressing issue that should be considered in more detail is why an IEP indicates a particular student’s current level of academic and functional performance. Strictly speaking, an IEP is a specially designed instructional plan for students with special education needs (KozikoÄźlu & Albayrak, 2022). If a student finds it too difficult (or, on the contrary, too easy) to cope with the required level of proficiency for a given module, the IEP can be used to help the student achieve at the right pace and with a more personalized approach, taking into account their individual needs and abilities. By now, it is clear that one of the main attributes of an IEP is personalization and individuality, as this attribute is embedded in the acronym’s name.
Thus, the significance of indicating a particular student’s current academic and functional performance level can be defined on three levels. First, this inclusion promotes greater individualization of the educational process by providing decision-makers with insight into what needs, milestones, and aspects of the student should be considered. A list of academic outcomes can indicate which past modules the student has done better in and which have been more difficult, helping to understand the student’s strengths and weaknesses.
Second, the IEP is not a static document but a dynamic one, meaning it can be continually revised to assess a student’s progress and adjust the educational program based on current results. For example, if a student initially performed poorly on a topic and then found time to study it in depth, this can be reflected in the IEP. Third, and finally, the logic of personalized learning, based on the student’s current academic and functional performance, enables the educator to develop specific instructional strategies that best meet the student’s unique needs and expectations.
PLAAFP
Another perspective on the personalized learning issue under study is the importance of setting annual goals and the significance of the PLAAFP in the context of the student’s goals. First and foremost, goals are measurable outcomes of the work the student is undertaking. A list of such outcomes might include “master the course syllabus by the end of the year,” “be able to perform complex calculations without problems in the fundamental mechanism of computation,” or “gain a specific skill needed to practice the knowledge in this course.”
A particular student’s goals may be less abstract, including “obtain a final grade of at least 80% in this course” or “complete all homework assignments with a grade better than or equal to the previous grade.” Thus, it is accurate to view the PLAAFP as a component of the IEP that determines where the student is now and the gap to the desired outcome (Barrio et al., 2020). In other words, PLAAFPs are vital to achieving a student’s learning goals because they serve as a dynamic foundation for shaping a student’s learning path.
Conclusion
The importance of setting annual goals cannot be overemphasized – these are tangible, measurable, and desirable outcomes that students should achieve at the end of their studies. On the one hand, setting such annual goals has a clear outcome orientation: the student can evaluate their goals and speculate how they can be achieved. On the other hand, annual goals encourage progress by identifying the current learning process, the effectiveness of the IEP, and the need to modify the program if the student is not meeting the current caseload. Another essential function of annual goals is to motivate the student. Because goals serve as measurable challenges, they can predict increased motivation, leading the student to become more engaged in the learning process.
References
Barrio, B. L., Hott, B. L., & Randolph, K. M. (2020). Special education law and policy: From foundation to application. Plural Publishing.
KozikoÄźlu, Ä°., & Albayrak, E. N. (2022). Teachers’ attitudes and the challenges they experience concerning individualized education program (IEP): A mixed method study. Participatory Educational Research, 9(1), 98-115.
Zeineddine, H., Braendle, U., & Farah, A. (2021). Enhancing prediction of student success: Automated machine learning approach. Computers & Electrical Engineering, 89, 1-10.