Department of Education:
Resolving Discrimination Complaints Has Improved With New Processing System
HEHS-99-47R: Published: Mar 23, 1999. Publicly Released: Mar 23, 1999.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), focusing on changes: (1) the OCR has made in its complaint resolution process since fiscal year (FY) 1993; and (2) in the timeliness and efficiency in resolving complaints between FY 1993 and FY 1997.
GAO noted that: (1) since FY 1993, OCR has improved its complaint resolution process in two major ways; (2) it replaced a process that focused on investigating complaints with a more flexible system that focuses on resolving complaints as soon as possible, which allows complaints to be mutually resolved at any point in the process; (3) OCR has also replaced its hierarchical structure for investigating complaints with case resolution teams--which include attorneys, investigators, and support staff--having the authority to reach final determination for most complaints; (4) OCR has undertaken several information and communication efforts to: (a) replace a mainframe-based discrimination case information system with a personal computer-based system directly accessible by field office staff; (b) provide online access to critical case resolution resources through an electronic library; and (c) establish internal networks for key subject matter issues; (5) during FY 1993 through FY 1997, OCR improved the average time to resolve complaints and reduced its inventory of unresolved complaints; and (6) these improvements occurred while the annual number of complaints received by OCR increased slightly (from 5,093 to 5,296) and OCR's staffing declined 20 percent (from 854 to 681 full-time equivalent staff).
Nov 19, 2020
Distance Learning:
Challenges Providing Services to K-12 English Learners and Students with Disabilities during COVID-19GAO-21-43: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 15, 2020
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Data Security:
Recent K-12 Data Breaches Show That Students Are Vulnerable to HarmGAO-20-644: Published: Sep 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 2020.
Oct 14, 2020
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Disaster Recovery:
COVID-19 Pandemic Intensifies Disaster Recovery Challenges for K-12 SchoolsGAO-21-62R: Published: Oct 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 14, 2020.
Sep 29, 2020
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Federal Student Loans:
Supplemental Data on Income and Family Size Information for Income-Driven Repayment PlansGAO-20-591R: Published: Sep 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 29, 2020.
Aug 27, 2020
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Native American Youth:
Agencies Incorporated Almost All Leading Practices When Assessing Grant Programs That Could Prevent or Address Delinquency [Reissued with revisions on Aug. 27, 2020.]GAO-20-600: Published: Aug 6, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 6, 2020.
Jul 24, 2020
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K-12 Education:
School Districts Need Better Information to Help Improve Access for People with DisabilitiesGAO-20-448: Published: Jun 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 24, 2020.
Jul 9, 2020
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K-12 Education:
Characteristics of School ShootingsGAO-20-455: Published: Jun 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 9, 2020.
Jun 5, 2020
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Indian Education:
Actions Needed to Ensure Students with Disabilities Receive Special Education ServicesGAO-20-358: Published: May 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 5, 2020.
Jun 4, 2020
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K-12 Education:
School Districts Frequently Identified Multiple Building Systems Needing Updates or ReplacementGAO-20-494: Published: Jun 4, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 4, 2020.
May 21, 2020
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Higher Education:
Approaches and Strategies Used in College Campus Surveys on Sexual ViolenceGAO-20-351: Published: Apr 21, 2020. Publicly Released: May 21, 2020.
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