Maryland Summary of Performance: What It Is and Why It Matters After School Ends

The Document Nobody Explains

When a student exits the school system — whether through graduation with a diploma or aging out at 21 with a Certificate of Program Completion — the school is legally required to provide a Summary of Performance. It's mentioned in passing at IEP meetings, rarely explained in detail, and frequently delivered as a thin, generic document that tells adult service providers almost nothing useful.

That's a missed opportunity. A well-written SOP is the single most valuable document a student carries out of the school system. It bridges the gap between an IEP (which adult agencies can't read because they don't operate under IDEA) and the practical information those agencies need to support the student effectively.

What the SOP Should Contain

IDEA requires the SOP to summarize the student's academic achievement and functional performance, including recommendations on how to assist the student in meeting postsecondary goals. In practice, a useful Maryland SOP includes:

Academic performance data — current reading, writing, and math levels; standardized test scores; course grades in key subjects. Not a transcript (the student gets that separately), but a synthesis of where the student is academically and what supports helped them get there.

Functional performance — adaptive behavior, communication skills, social interaction, self-care, mobility, organizational skills. This is often more important than academics for students heading into adult services or supported employment.

Successful accommodations and modifications — not just a list ("extended time, preferential seating") but specifics about what worked and why. "Receives 1.5x time on math assessments; uses a calculator for all computation; works best in low-distraction environments with noise-canceling headphones" gives an adult provider something actionable.

Assistive technology — devices, software, and tools the student uses, including how they were configured and what training the student received. If the student uses text-to-speech software, the SOP should name the program and settings.

Recommendations for postsecondary environments — what the student needs in a college classroom, a workplace, or a community living setting to function at their current level. These recommendations should connect directly to the student's postsecondary transition goals.

When to Request It

Don't wait for the final IEP meeting to see the SOP for the first time. Request a draft SOP at least one full IEP cycle before the student's expected exit date. This gives you time to:

• Review the document and identify gaps (generic language, missing functional data, vague recommendations)
• Request additional assessments if the data is stale
• Ensure the recommendations match the adult services the student is applying for

If the student is expected to exit in June 2027, request a draft SOP at the fall 2026 IEP meeting. The school has the obligation to prepare it, and reviewing a draft is far more productive than trying to fix a final document at the last meeting.

How Adult Agencies Use the SOP

College Disability Services offices may use the SOP as supporting documentation when the student applies for accommodations. Each college sets its own documentation requirements, so the SOP may be submitted alongside other current evaluations or records.

DDA providers use the SOP to understand the student's support needs without conducting months of their own intake assessments. A detailed SOP can accelerate the person-centered planning process with the Coordinator of Community Services.

DORS vocational rehabilitation counselors use the SOP to build an Individualized Plan for Employment. The functional performance section and assistive technology inventory are especially relevant for job placement and workplace accommodations.

Employers (through supported employment providers) can use the SOP's recommendations to set up reasonable workplace accommodations on day one rather than discovering needs through trial and error.

The Maryland Exit Document

Maryland also provides a supplemental exit document — a portfolio of the student's real-world skills, work histories, credentials, community-based instruction experience, and immediate support needs. This is more operational than the SOP — think of it as the student's resume for adult service providers.

Together, the SOP and Exit Document give the adult system everything it needs to pick up where the school left off. Separately, each tells only half the story.

What to Do if the SOP Is Generic

If the school produces a one-page SOP with boilerplate language and no specific recommendations, push back in writing. Reference the IDEA requirement that the SOP include "recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child's postsecondary goals" — generic recommendations don't meet that standard.

Bring your own list of questions: What accommodations will the student need in a workplace? What communication supports work best? What triggers challenging behavior, and what de-escalation strategies are documented? If the school can't answer these from existing data, that's grounds for requesting additional transition assessments before exit.

The Maryland IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a SOP review worksheet that maps each section of the document against the requirements of the student's specific adult service applications — DDA, DORS, college, or employment — so nothing critical gets left out.

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