1. Be specific about the district’s proposed actions. What exactly is the DISTRICT going to do or not do, not what has the parent requested? If there is more than one reason for a district’s proposed actions, include all of the reasons why the district is proposing or refusing.
2. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Avoid naming teachers or particular classrooms and making those decisions based solely on parent request. Make sure that parents know that the district will ensure that the child receives his services in an appropriate setting and will monitor his progress.
3. Identify options considered and rejected, including parent concerns. In state complaints, parents often allege that schools did not consider information or evaluations that they provided or that they didn’t consider one of their concerns. The prior written notice is the first place to go to see what was discussed and decided at an IEP meeting.
It is equally important to remember that the prior written notice is not a transcript of what was said at the IEP meeting. The document should eliminate all doubts or misunderstandings about what is being proposed or refused by the district.
— From LRP eConnections Newsletter
Questions? Contact your school’s program coordinator for more information.