The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Administration of its Race to the Top Grant

We found that the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction could improve its administration of its Race to the Top grant by strengthening its system of internal control over contracting and by more closely monitoring the fiscal activity of participating local educational agencies and charter schools to ensure that they complied with all applicable Federal requirements. We found that North Carolina generally reported performance data accurately and completely and that it generally spent Race to the Top funds on allowable activities and in accordance with program requirements and its approved grant application. However, we noted North Carolina made about $1.4 million in payments to a contract without sufficiently documenting that employees obtained all required approvals.