Under federal law, districts must provide written notice to parents when which occurs?

• A. A change is proposed in the student's IEP
• B. The student is failing an academic subject
• C. The student is frequently late to class
• D. Alternative assessments are used to evaluate student performance

Answer: (A)

A key idea here is that written notice is required whenever a district proposes changes to a student’s special education plan. Under federal law, specifically IDEA, districts must provide prior written notice to parents when they propose or refuse to initiate or change identification, evaluation, placement, or the services the child will receive. This ensures parents are informed, understand the reasons for the proposed action, and know their rights to participate or dispute the decision.

So, when a change is proposed in the student’s IEP, the district must give this written notice. The other scenarios listed do not automatically trigger this statutory notice in the same way, because they don’t necessarily involve proposing changes to the IEP or services in a formal sense.