Staffing Levels in the Department of Education

GAO was requested to review staffing levels in the Department of Education and in the agencies affected by its establishment. Specifically, it was asked whether: (1) the affected agencies had increased their staffing levels during the 2-year period before Education was established to offset legislatively mandated reductions, (2) agencies that transferred personnel to Education decreased their staffs accordingly, and (3) using full-time equivalent work years as an annual staffing limitation is more effective than end-of-year personnel ceilings.