7 Parts of a Prior Written Notice

7 Parts of a Prior Written Notice

Prior Written Notice (PWN) must contain a comprehensive description of the action proposed (or refused) by the school system. It’s not an optional document or one with little importance. In fact, a PWN might be the most important pre-meeting document that you send home to families during the IEP process.

To learn more about why an IEP team should be sending a PWN and when, start here.

Once you are ready to move on to writing the PWN, read below to find out what must, by law, be included.


7 Things to Include in a PWN

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a PWN must include the following seven components. The exact wording of the law can be seen in [§300.503(b)] of the IDEA.

1 – A Description of the Action Proposed or Refused by the School

This section of the PWN should be a short statement about what the school wants to do or is refusing to do.

2 – An Explanation of Why the School Proposes or Refuses to Take the Action

The second piece of information should provide an explanation of why the action is being proposed or what necessitated it, or if it’s a refusal, why the action is being refused.

3 – A Description of Each Evaluation Procedure, Assessment, Record, or Report the School Used as a Basis for Their Decision

Here you must list and describe the documentation that led to the refusal or proposed action.

4 – A Statement That the Parents of a Child with a Disability Have Protection Under the Procedural Safeguards and, How the Parents Can Obtain a Copy of Them

This part of the PWN acknowledges that the parents have protection and gives them instructions for obtaining a copy of the procedural safeguards.

Use this paper template of the prior written notice to make sure you are hitting all of the important points and necessary information during the PWN part of an IEP meeting.  Download it when you join The Intentional IEP here or by clicking the image above.

5 – Sources for Parents to Contact to Obtain Assistance in Understanding These Provisions

Understanding the provisions can be challenging for some families, so the PWN should include resources for parents to contact to get assistance with them.

6 – A Description of Other Options That the IEP Team Considered and the Reasons Why Those Options Were Rejected

All other options that the IEP Team considered for the student should be listed in the PWN, as well as, the reasons why none of those options were viable.

7 Parts of a Prior Written Notice7 – A Description of Other Factors Relevant to the School’s Proposal or Refusal

Anything else that is relevant to the proposal or refusal should be included here so that there is a well-rounded picture of why the actions are being considered or not considered.


While it may seem like a lot of information to include, the seven sections or parts of a PWN make sure that the family is completely aware of what it being proposed or rejected and why that is happening. It not only provides protection for the family and the child, but it also provides protection for the school.

 

 

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