An independent federal agency is set to investigate how teacher shortages are impacting the growing number of students with disabilities across the nation.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a briefing Friday where it will hear from government officials, current and former educators, researchers and others who’ve been impacted.

The commission is an independent, bipartisan federal agency that conducts investigations and produces reports for Congress and the president on key civil rights matters.

“Education is fundamental for every child and it’s our duty to ensure that students with disabilities are not only included but empowered within our educational system. We must ensure that the resources, support and understanding they deserve are provided to ensure them and their parents the most favorable outcomes,” said Commissioner Stephen L. Gilchrist.

Specifically, the commission said that it will look into the challenges that schools are experiencing filling openings for special education professionals and what the government is doing to address these issues.

The investigation comes as special education enrollment has ballooned in recent years to a record high of 7.5 million, or 15% of all students. At the same time, data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics shows that 74% of elementary and middle schools and 66% of high schools reported difficulty finding fully certified teachers to fill special education teaching vacancies at the start of this academic year.

In addition to the briefing this week, the commission is accepting public comment through Dec. 16, which will inform its report.