Paige, Seeking 'Clean' Audit, Tightens Dept. Procedures

By Joetta L. Sack

Washington

Secretary of Education Rod Paige has curbed employees' spending authority and plans to put top managers on performance contracts in new efforts to hold his agency more accountable.

But more work needs to be done to bring under control the Department of Education's long-standing, systemic accounting problems, an independent auditor last month told members of Congress.

The agency released an interim report on July 17 to highlight actions taken under the Bush administration that department officials say will help improve management. Officials from the department and General Accounting Office went to Capitol Hill on July 24 to answer...