Constructing Compliant IEPs:

Prior Written Notice and the

Amendment Process

Prior Written
Notice
Required by IDEA
300.503 Prior Written Notice

When is Prior Written Notice

Needed?

When proposing to change the

identification, evaluation or education
placement of the child or the provisions
of FAPE to a child.

When refusing to initiate or change the

identification, evaluation, education
placement or provisions of FAPE to the
child.

PWN for Evaluation

Procedures

Prior to requesting consent.

When a district says, No, not now.

Following a written request for an evaluation.

When no further information is necessary to

continue eligibility.

PWN for Identification

Prior to identification as a student with a

disability.

Following a parents refusal to give consent.

Following a request for a change in eligibility.

PWN for Educational

Decisions

Prior to convening the IEP team.

Any change to the students placement, including

graduation and disciplinary changes of placement.

Any change to the continue of Special Education programs

and services offered by the district.

Proposal or refusal to provide a particular education

setting or special education program/service.

PWN and the Provisions of

FAPE

Any time the contents of the IEP are

significantly changed.

Following revocation of consent.

Following enrollment of a student who

was receiving special education in a
previous district.

What does Notice do?

Provides

an opportunity for the

school personnel to document
options requested by a parent,
or other IEP members, that
were considered and not
selected due to the students
individual needs.

Notice Regarding Provision of Special

Education: Too often None is written

Notice Regarding Provision of Special

Education: Too often None is written

Examples of Notice Factors

There are a lot of issues covered in an IEP that should be
DOCUMENTED The NOTICE section provides a place to
capture the discussion:

Request for a additional services by parents and district

refusing.

An evaluation request by parents for a change or

additional area of eligibility and district refusing or
making an offer to review.

Changing the list of Supplemental Aids and Services

based on data form past year.

Consideration of LRE placement

Designating the student has the need for behavioral

interventions and all options proposed not considered.

Example Parent Requests a

Specific Program

Many Solutions to Address Needs Identified in PLAAFP

SE Program
Need #1
SE Related
Service

PLAAFP
Need #2

Accommodation
for Student

Need #3

Measurable
Transition Goal

Scenario 16 yr. old with a

Disability
Four Needs reported in PLAAFP
Severely
Reading

anxious and socially awkward

skills 5th grade

Difficulty

reading tests

Vocational

interest in repairing
automobiles

Many Solutions to Address Needs Identified in PLAAFP

Resource Program for
Reading/English/Language
Arts
Severely anxious/socially
awkward/reading at 5th grade

Social Work for social skills

and interventions to
mediate anxiety/Tests are
read to student

PLAAFP
Reading at 5th Grade Level

Extra time on tests

Preview vocabulary words with
teacher for tests and
assignments

Vocational Interest in
Repairing Automobiles

Measurable Transition Goal

related to automotive
technology

Another Example

AAFP

Reading
Disorder/Language
Delay

Resource Program
Instructional
Practices to Address
the LD
Speech and
Language Therapy

Slow Cognitive
Processing/ Poor
Organization/ Poor
Expressive Language Skills

Need #3

Accommodations in
General Education
classes for Student

Measurable Goal

The PLAAFP or Special Factors

indicates a NEED:

Parent requests a specific

eligibility:

Think / Pair/ Share

Take the next 10 minutes to read and

discuss the IEP.

List what you think should be in Options

Considered but Not Selected box?

What reasons would you put in the Reason

Not Selected box?

Other Considerations Page

The Notice page is separate from the IEP.

Writing discussions from the IEPT meeting on this page

is not the same as documenting the offer of FAPE on the
Notice page.

Final Thought
How will YOU assure that all
Options Considered are
captured on this section in
your future IEPs?

The Amendment Process

Advice from the Office of

Special Education for Notice
When in doubt, write it out!