Over the past five years it has worked to improve the educational achievement of all public school students in the state through the implementation of the Georgia P-16 Initiative. Part of this initiative is a comprehensive personnel development plan that addresses the need to recruit and retain qualified special educators, along with other teachers in critical need areas. It is called Georgia's Teacher Quality Plan. The Hope Teacher Scholarship Program, known formally as the Promise Teacher Scholarships for Undergraduate Study, is helping to reach this goal, by offering state grants to individuals pursuing a degree in education, including special education. These are available to qualified applicants, in addition to the regular HOPE scholarships, and can be used for room and board, in addition to tuition and books.
Students develop skills to work with individuals with mild disabilities at all age levels.
Graduates will be certified as interrelated resource teachers. The master's program offers additional certifications for those already holding degrees in special education. Tuition assistance may be available for regular on campus programs under state grants as well as funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The Department of Special Education will also accept post-baccalaureate students who only wish to add special education certification to an existing undergraduate degree or previously earned certification. More courses may be necessary for those students who do not have any active teaching certificate.