Prior Written Notice (PWN): What It Is and Why It Matters

Written by Casey, a Minnesota school counselor and former special education teacher.

Prior Written Notice, usually called PWN, is a document schools are legally required to give you any time they propose or refuse to start, change, or stop something related to your child's evaluation, eligibility, placement, or services. It's one of the most useful documents in the whole process, and one of the most commonly skimmed past.

When you're supposed to get one

Any time the school proposes a change (or refuses one you requested) related to identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of FAPE, they're required to give you Prior Written Notice -- in writing, before the change happens, not after.

What it's legally required to include

Federal law (34 C.F.R. § 300.503(b)) requires seven specific elements in every PWN: a description of the action being proposed or refused; an explanation of why; a description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report used as a basis for the decision; a statement that you have procedural safeguards protections and how to get a copy of them; sources you can contact for help understanding your rights; a description of other options the team considered and why they were rejected; and a description of other factors relevant to the decision.

Why the "other options considered" element matters most

This is the piece families most often don't realize is required, and it's often the most revealing one when it's missing or thin: it's supposed to show what else the team weighed before landing on this decision, not just what they decided. A PWN that only states the decision, without this element, isn't actually complete under the law.

What to do if a PWN seems incomplete

Compare what you received against the seven elements above. If something's missing, it's reasonable to ask the school directly, in writing, to provide a complete PWN -- this is a legal requirement, not an optional courtesy, and pointing to the specific missing element tends to get a faster, clearer response than a general complaint.

This is general information, not legal advice, and isn't specific to your child's own IEP. For anything specific to your situation, talk with your child's IEP team or a special education attorney or advocate.

IEP Navigator checks every uploaded PWN against all seven required elements automatically