Assessment of Audits of Bilingual Education Grants in Texas by U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General

AFMD-85-6: Published: Dec 14, 1984. Publicly Released: Dec 14, 1984.

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GAO assessed the quality of eight audits of bilingual education grants performed by the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General (OIG).

GAO found that the OIG auditors did not always have a proper basis for either their conclusions or their recommendations in six audits that called for grant terminations. GAO also found that the auditors: (1) misinterpreted both the requirements of the Bilingual Education Act and departmental regulations, resulting in incorrect conclusions that the grantees had not complied with appropriate regulations and grant terms; (2) did not obtain legal advice on their interpretation of laws and regulations prior to issuing their reports; (3) did not support several of their conclusions with sufficient and relevant evidence; and (4) inappropriately recommended cost disallowances for projects they did not audit.

Recommendations for Executive Action

  1. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Department of Education's Inspector General should determine whether the problems that were found with the eight audits are present in other regions and, based on those determinations, take the necessary action to address those problems.

    Agency Affected: Department of Education

  2. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Department of Education's Inspector General should, in evaluations of OIG regional offices, determine that legal issues are being addressed early in audits, as OIG policy now requires.

    Agency Affected: Department of Education

  3. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Department of Education's Inspector General should, in evaluations of OIG regional offices, determine that controls are in place to ensure that sufficient, competent, and relevant evidence has been gathered to support the findings in OIG reports.

    Agency Affected: Department of Education

 

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