Georgia Special Education Requirements
What special education requirements does Georgia have beyond federal law?
Georgia's special education system is governed by state statutes under O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2 (particularly §§ 20-2-150 through 20-2-159), Georgia State Board of Education Rules Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.01 through 160-4-7-.21, and federal IDEA regulations. Georgia generally follows federal IDEA requirements closely, with several notable state-specific provisions. Georgia provides FAPE to children with disabilities ages 3 through 21 (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-152), with services available from birth for children with severe visual or auditory impairments through state schools or programs financed with local or federal funds. Georgia uses a 60-calendar-day evaluation timeline (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.04), with specific exclusions for holidays when school is not in session for 5+ consecutive days. Georgia requires transition planning beginning at entry into ninth grade or age 16, whichever comes first (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06), which can begin earlier than the federal age 16 requirement. Georgia has 18 GLRS regional centers providing training and support to school personnel and families (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.16), and 24 GNETS programs serving students ages 5-21 with intense behavioral challenges (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.15). Georgia uses the GO-IEP statewide online system for IEP development and tracking. Georgia's state assessment is the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, with the GAA 2.0 as the alternate assessment. Georgia requires qualified psychological examiners with specific credentials (S-5 certification, psychology license, or equivalent) for learning/behavioral evaluations (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.04). Georgia's SDD category for ages 3-9 has specific scoring criteria (2 SD in one area or 1.5 SD in two areas). Child Find procedures under Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.03 require annual public notification of identification activities. The GaDOE Division for Special Education Services and Supports maintains a State Advisory Panel for policy guidance on special education.
What Georgia Requires
Georgia special education governed by O.C.G.A. Title 20 Chapter 2, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.01 through 160-4-7-.21, and federal IDEA.
FAPE provided ages 3-21; children with visual or auditory impairments, or other severe disabilities, may be eligible from birth (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-152).
60-calendar-day evaluation timeline with holiday exclusions for 5+ consecutive school day absences (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.04).
Transition planning at entry into ninth grade or age 16, whichever comes first (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06).
18 GLRS regional centers provide training and support (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.16).
24 GNETS programs for students ages 5-21 with intense behavioral challenges (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.15).
GO-IEP statewide online system for IEP development, maintenance, and timeline tracking.
Qualified psychological examiner requirement for learning/behavioral evaluations with specific Georgia credentialing standards (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.04).
Child Find requires annual public notification of identification and screening activities (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.03).
Georgia Milestones is the state assessment; GAA 2.0 is the alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Key Timelines
60 calendar days: initial evaluation from consent (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.04).
30 calendar days: IEP development from eligibility determination (34 CFR §300.323(c)).
Annual: IEP review, child find notification, GLRS scope of work submission.
Triennial: reevaluation unless waived (34 CFR §300.303(b)).
By ninth grade or age 16: transition planning begins (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06).
By third birthday: eligibility and IEP in place for Part C transitions.