Department of Education

We performed our inspection to determine whether the U.S. Department of Education (Department) ensured that contractors and grantees notified employees in writing of the whistleblower protections provided under 41 United States Code 4712 (Section 4712). We found that the Department did not...

This statutory report presents the activities and accomplishments of the OIG from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. The audits, investigations, and related work highlighted in the report are products of our mission to identify and stop fraud, waste, and abuse; and promote accountability...

The objective of our audit was to determine whether the Department complied with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) for FY 2023. We found that the Department complied with the PIIA for the FY 2023 reporting period because it met all six compliance requirements; however, it could...

The objective of our inspection was to determine if the Department established and implemented controls throughout all phases of its incident response lifecycle to ensure compliance with Federal guidance and regulations. We found that although the Department established policies, procedures, and...

To learn how communities across the nation responded to the pandemic, we initiated a multi-part review of six communities—two cities, two rural counties, and two Tribal reservations. This report is the first community-specific report and focuses on our work in Springfield, Massachusetts, where we...

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Illinois State Board of Education (Illinois) had an adequate oversight process in place to ensure that (1) local educational agencies’ (LEA) American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) plans met...

The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) implemented selected components of its statewide accountability system in accordance with Mississippi’s approved State plan and any approved amendments. Our audit covered MDE’s processes for...

The objectives of our audit were to determine whether (1) United Education Institute’s (doing business as UEI College) career pathway programs met the program eligibility requirements set forth in section 484(d)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); (2) students enrolled in UEI...

The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Puerto Rico Department of Education (Puerto Rico DOE) used Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations (Restart) program funds for allowable and intended purposes. We determined that the Puerto Rico DOE did not always use Restart program funds...

Our annual plan identifies the audits, inspections, and other activities that the OIG intends to undertake to assist the U.S. Department of Education in fulfilling its responsibilities to America’s citizens and students.