School & District Management A Washington Roundup

Audit: Research Agency Was Lax on Monitoring of Some Contracts

By Debra Viadero — January 09, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences did not properly monitor some of its research contracts during the 2005 fiscal year, according to a recent federal audit.

The investigation was part of a routine audit conducted last year by the department’s inspector general. The auditors reviewed the research agency’s 10 biggest contracts, for which the institute had made $194 million in payments that fiscal year, and found dozens of instances in which employees had failed to ensure that contractors fulfilled their contract requirements or met their deadlines.

The Dec. 14 report says, for example, that institute officials sometimes came up short by not preparing written evaluations of contractor reports or not issuing timely award letters to contractors. Investigators also faulted the institute for failing to detect unapproved expenses in contractors’ reports.

In a written response to the report, Lawrence Warder, the institute’s chief financial officer, and Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst, its director, concurred with the auditors’ findings. They said steps had been taken to correct the problems. The institute will also conduct training next month to reacquaint contracting-office staff members with proper monitoring procedures.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the January 10, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Download How to Boost Teacher Morale: A Guide for District Leaders (DOWNLOADABLE)
Our discussion guide for district leaders has three takeaways about teachers' attitudes toward their job. Use it to jump start PD with your team.
1 min read
A leader meets with their team. Superintendents, principals, schools leaders, district maps.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management No More Fresh Fruits and Veggies: Schools Grapple With Loss of Federal Funding
The Local Food to Schools program, which was canceled by the Trump administration, helped schools get fresh, local produce.
7 min read
Dan Yarnick inspects produce at Yarnick's Farm in Indiana, Pa., on June 4, 2025. The farm is one of a number of local providers who partnered with Pittsburgh Public Schools to provide students with fresh fruits and veggies.
Dan Yarnick inspects produce at Yarnick's Farm in Indiana, Pa., on June 4, 2025. The farm is one of a number of local providers who partnered with Pittsburgh Public Schools to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables. These types of partnerships are in jeopardy with the cancellation of the Local Food for Schools program.
Nate Smallwood for Education Week
School & District Management How Schools Think Their Legal Expenses Will Change Under Trump
The first few months of the Trump administration have been like "drinking from a fire hose," an education attorney said.
5 min read
Illustrated photo of a ship made out of money and carrying a large red question mark with a stormy seascape and sky all around.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management How Schools Are Reaching Immigrant Families Over Summer
Experts advise district leaders to stay up to date on immigration policy changes.
4 min read
A principal watches her multilingual student leaders present a supportive buddy system to a room full of educators on May 29, 2024 in New York City.
A principal watches her multilingual student leaders present a supportive buddy system to a room full of educators on May 29, 2024 in New York City. The district boasts school-based teams called Dream Squads that conduct outreach to immigrant families over the summer.
Courtesy of New York City Public Schools