In 1997, United States Senator Barbara Boxer asked the General Accounting Office to address certain questions she had about education programs. The answers to her questions are provided in this report. The information centers on five areas: (1) the definitions and criteria used to identify the number of federal education programs and departments…

In fiscal year 1995, Head Start--the centerpiece of federal early childhood programs--was appropriated $3.5 billion to provide a range of services to eligible, preschool-aged children from low-income families. Since 1990, Congress increased funding for Head Start by 135 percent to allow more children the opportunity to participate and to improve…

The primary reason for the Federal Highway Administration Cooperative Education Program is to work with colleges and universities in developing preprofessional personnel by assigning work projects which complement academic study. Primary responsibility for the program rests with the Office of Personnel and Training, with on-the-job supervision…

Internal controls are important to ensure your Parent Center's resources are well protected. Steps should be taken to ensure that finance transactions are authorized by management, executed properly and on time, and recorded appropriately. Some centers may not have staff with all of the titles used in the procedures presented in this paper.…

Cooperative activities involving the States and the U.S. Office of Education have been a tradition since the establishment of the Office. In recent years the scope, extent, and magnitude of such programs have increased substantially. These programs provide grants for vocational education; rural library services; the improvement of science,…

The federal government's war on fraud, waste, and abuse in expenditure of federal funds has reached college campuses. Institutions that fail to heed this development are vulnerable to harsh sanctions. They must tighten accounting practices and recognize their liability for fraudulent practices of faculty and students. Internal investigations and…

Executive Order 12821 encourages Federal departments and agencies to assist elementary and secondary educational institutions with mathematics and science education programs to meet the National Education Goals. The Executive Order established a committee responsible for assessing the availability of education-related Federal equipment and…