District leader brief • Georgia • Updated January 3, 2026
Georgia special education: the top 5 pressure points (ranked)
A plain-English summary of what’s most disruptive across Georgia districts—and what systems reduce workload while improving outcomes. Built for real school days, not tech demos.
Built by a school-based Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and former special education department chair. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)–aware by default: no student personally identifiable information (PII) needed to get started.
In this brief
Five issues ordered by system impact (what breaks services first), plus practical “do this Monday” moves. Jump to a section:
Top 5 issues (most impactful → least)
1) Staffing shortages + caseload overload
Why it matters: When staffing is thin, everything else becomes triage: missed service minutes, late timelines, and burned-out case managers.
Research-based reasons: National data show special education roles are consistently hard to fill, and staffing gaps drive uneven access to supports.
- What works (practical): protected Individualized Education Program (IEP) time, clear role boundaries, simplified documentation workflows, and structured mentoring for new staff.
- What to measure: vacancies, time-to-fill, missed minutes, timeline compliance, and retention at 1 year and 3 years.
How ClearCourse helps: AI-assisted drafting workflows + templates that reduce low-risk paperwork (humans approve; nothing auto-files).
2) Behavior + mental health needs outpacing systems
Why it matters: When behavior supports fail, schools default to removals—lost instruction time, staff injuries, and restrictive placements.
Research-based reasons: Tiered prevention and function-based supports outperform “generic plans,” but only when implemented with coaching and fidelity checks.
- What works (practical): Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) + Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with fidelity; Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) → function-based Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).
- What to measure: office discipline referrals, removals >10 days, attendance, and behavior goal Progress Monitoring (PM).
How ClearCourse helps: behavior playbooks, simple PM trackers, and templates that make plans teachable (not just compliant).
3) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) + placement continuum (GNETS-shaped risk)
Why it matters: If the continuum breaks, restrictive settings become the default—high legal risk and weaker outcomes for students.
Georgia-specific context: The Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support (GNETS) has been the subject of long-running scrutiny and litigation risk related to segregation concerns.
- What works (practical): strengthen integrated supports in zoned schools, define “exit ramps” from restrictive settings, and track time-in-setting + exit criteria.
- What to measure: percent of day in general education, duration in restrictive placements, and successful transitions back to integrated settings.
How ClearCourse helps: placement review routines, documentation clarity, and systems that keep teams aligned on LRE decisions.
4) Disproportionality (identification, discipline, placement)
Why it matters: This affects student outcomes and can trigger mandatory actions (including Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) set-asides) when significant disproportionality is identified.
Research-based reasons: Inconsistent referral decision rules and weak Tier 1 instruction contribute to biased pipelines; routine data reviews + action steps reduce drift.
- What works (practical): referral sufficiency rubrics, consistent decision rules, monthly school-level data reviews that end with assigned actions.
- What to measure: risk ratios by category, discipline disparities for students with disabilities by race/ethnicity, setting patterns.
How ClearCourse helps: referral rubrics, meeting-ready data snapshots, and streamlined documentation so teams focus on instruction, not chaos.
5) Compliance load vs instructional quality (“paperwork vs progress”)
Why it matters: Teams can be technically compliant while Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP), Specially Designed Instruction (SDI), and Progress Monitoring (PM) plans are too vague to drive growth.
Research-based reasons: Clear, teachable instruction + defined PM decision rules outperform generic “accommodations lists” and copy/paste goals.
- What works (practical): “instruction-first” IEP reviews, SDI in observable terms, PM schedules + decision rules that trigger changes.
- What to measure: IEP quality rubric scores, PM data completeness, goal progress trends, timeline compliance.
How ClearCourse helps: templates + AI drafting scaffolds that produce clearer PLAAFP, goals, SDI, and PM—with humans in control.
Want hours back every week—without compromising compliance?
Book a thirty-minute SPED workload + AI streamlining audit and leave with a “do this Monday” plan.
How ClearCourse helps (fast + practical)
AI Streamlining (FERPA-aware)
- IEP drafting scaffolds (humans approve)
- PLAAFP + goals + PM planning
- Meeting minutes + service logs
IEP quality that improves instruction
- SDI clarity rewrites
- PM decision rules that trigger change
- Leadership review protocols
MTSS + behavior playbooks
- Tier 1–3 routines + templates
- FBA → BIP supports
- Data reviews that end with actions
Download the one-page brief
Shareable summary for superintendents, principals, and SPED leaders. No student data required.
Tip: If you want email capture, use a Squarespace Newsletter block below this section and link the “Email me the brief” button to it.
Sources (selected)
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP): Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B state determinations (Georgia status).
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): staffing difficulty for special education teacher openings.
- United States Department of Justice (DOJ): Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support (GNETS) complaint (context).
- 34 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 300.646: significant disproportionality and CCEIS requirements.
- Government Accountability Office (GAO): services/supports oversight and resource distribution issues for students with disabilities.