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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, places a heavy emphasis on accountability and transparency, and in doing so, increases the responsibilities of those Inspectors General whose agencies are impacted by the Recovery Act. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is one of the agencies, and was given $14 million through FY 2012 to monitor Recovery Act funds distributed by ED.

Since passage of the Recovery Act, ED-OIG staff has been meeting with ED leaders and our counterparts in Federal and State agencies to initiate efforts to ensure Recovery Act dollars reach the intended recipients and achieve the intended results. We have provided tools and outreach materials on fraud awareness developed by intergovernmental teams, and outreach and training materials to assist ED and its grantees in identifying risk and fraud, as well as implementing mechanisms for the timely reporting of misuse of Recovery Act-related funds to ED-OIG. We are presently examining the use of funds by States and grantees, and are working closely with the Government Accountability Office, which was given significant responsibilities to review implementation of the Recovery Act, to ensure that we coordinate and conduct all education-related assignments effectively and efficiently, and avoid duplication of effort.

The law also gives ED-OIG an increased role in overseeing all Recovery Act funds, as it assigns the ED Inspector General to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. The Board is tasked with collaborating on audits of covered funds, holding public hearings, and producing quarterly and annual reports on the use of funds for public review. The Board also manages the Recovery.gov website—a means of keeping the general public informed of where Recovery Act funds are going, how the funds are being spent, and if the funds are achieving the intended results.

The Recovery Act expands whistleblower protections to include State and local government employees, grantees, and contractors. As a result, ED-OIG has enhanced its hotline operations to accommodate an increase in calls, conducts outreach efforts with States and localities on how to report waste, fraud, and abuse, and has increased its law enforcement activities to aggressively pursue those who defraud Federal education programs.

Below you will find additional information on ED-OIG Recovery Act efforts. Be sure to check this page regularly for any updates.

Reports and Other Products:

Internal Reports

• School Improvement Grants: Selected States Generally Awarded Funds Only to Eligible Schools. (Date Issued: 03/29/2012) PDF (277K)
• The Effectiveness of the Department’s Data Quality Review Processes. (Date Issued: 08/22/2011) PDF (1.12M)
• States’ Treasury-State Agreements Might Need to Include AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act, Education Jobs Fund, and Other Similarly Funded Programs. ACN: L05L0004 (Date Issued: 06/20/2011) PDF (315K)
• The Department's Implementation of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Program. A19J0001, Date Issued: 09/24/2010 PDF (941K)
• The Department’s Process for Screening and Selecting Peer Reviewers for the Race to the Top Grant Program. A19K0006, Date Issued: 08/16/2010 PDF (501K)
• Department Progress in Implementing Corrective Actions for Prior Audits of Programs that Subsequently Received Funding Under the Recovery Act. L20K0003, Date Issued: 07/12/2010 PDF (309K)
• Management Information Report-Subrecipient Monitoring under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (Date Issued: 06/04/2010) PDF (182K)
• Management Information Report-Charter School Vulnerabilities. (Date Issued: 03/09/2010) - PDF (2.17M)
• The Department's Process to Ensure Data Quality Under the Reporting Requirements of the Recovery Act. (Date Issued: 10/29/2009) -  PDF (304K), MS Word (563K)
• State Educational Agencies' Implementation of Federal Cash Management Requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (Date Issued: 10/21/2009) -  PDF (152K), MS Word (1M)
• Corrections Needed to Information About Department of Education Programs Included in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. (Date Issued: 10/13/2009) -  PDF (98K), MS Word (495K)
• Potential Consequences of the Maintenance of Effort Requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. (Date Issued: 09/30/2009) -  PDF (394K), MS Word (1.06M)
• Fiscal Issues Reported in ED-OIG Work Related to LEAs and SEAs. (Date Issued: 07/21/2009) -  PDF (200K), MS Word (520K)

External Reports

• Recovery Act Data Quality: Recipient Efforts to Report Reliable and Transparent Information. Date Issued: 09/13/2010 PDF (357K)
• Alabama: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs. (Date Issued: 02/15/2012) - PDF (313K)
• California - State and Local Controls over ARRA Funds in California. (Date Issued: 01/15/2010) - PDF (241K)  - MS Word (565K)
• California: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs. (Date Issued: 04/28/2011) PDF (550K)
• Illinois - Systems of Internal Control Over Selected ARRA Funds in the State of Illinois. (Date Issued: 02/23/2010) - PDF (219K)  - MS Word (641K)
• Illinois: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs. (Date Issued: 06/09/2011) PDF (310K)
• Indiana - Systems of Internal Control Over Selected ARRA Funds in the State of Indiana. (Date Issued: 01/14/2010) - PDF (242K)  - MS Word (587K)
• Louisiana - Systems of Internal Control Over Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Funds in the State of Louisiana. (Date Issued: 09/29/2010) - PDF (656K)
• Louisiana - Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs. (Date Issued: 04/11/2011) PDF (1.03M)
• Missouri: Use of and Reporting on Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Program Funds. (Date Issued: 06/07/2011) PDF (533K)
• New York - State System of Internal Control over Recovery Act Funds. (Date Issued: 11/10/2009) -  PDF (225K), MS Word (696k)
• New York State - Local Educational Agencies Systems of Internal Control Over American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds. (Date Issued: 02/17/2010) -   PDF (2.60M), MS Word (9.97M)
• Oklahoma - Oklahoma: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs. (Date Issued: 02/18/2011) -   PDF (417K)
• Pennsylvania - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Recovery Act Audit of Internal Controls over Selected Funds. (Date Issued: 03/15/2010) -  PDF (2.01M), MS Word (4.47M)
• Pennsylvania - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Local Educational Agencies’ Systems of Internal Controls over American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds. (Date Issued: 12/21/2010) - PDF (1.77K)
• Puerto Rico - Administration of Recovery Act Vocational Rehabilitation Funds. (Date Issued: 12/14/2009) -  PDF (665K), MS Word (1.2M)
• Puerto Rico - Systems of Internal Controls over Selected Recovery Act Funds in Puerto Rico. (Date Issued: 12/16/2010) -  PDF (387K)
• South Carolina: Use of funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Program (Date Issued: 04/20/2011) PDF (344K)
• South Carolina Governor’s Office: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs. (Date Issued: 08/23/2011) PDF (384K)
• Tennessee - Internal Controls over Selected Recovery Act Funds. (Date Issued: 12/15/2009) -  PDF (167K), MS Word (467K)
• Tennessee - Internal Controls of Recovery Act Funds at Three LEAs. (Date Issued: 12/18/2009) -  PDF (130K), MS Word (396K)
• Texas - Systems of Internal Control Over Selected ARRA Funds. (Date Issued: 01/27/2010) -  PDF (275K), MS Word (539K)
• Utah - Utah: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs.. (Date Issued: 05/13/2011) PDF (325K)
• Virginia - Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected ARRA Funds. (Date Issued: 06/09/2011) PDF (695K)
• Virgin Islands - Virgin Islands Department of Education's Current Efforts to Address Prior Audit Findings. (Date Issued: 01/13/2010) -  PDF (784K), MS Word (1.2M)
• Wisconsin - State of Wisconsin American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Use of Funds and Reporting. (Date Issued: 09/29/2010) - PDF (620K)
• Wisconsin - Milwaukee Public Schools: Use of Funds and Data Quality for Selected American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs (Date Issued: 04/21/2011) PDF (249K)

ED OIG ARRA Work Plan:

• ED/OIG 2011 Recovery Act Plan (Oct 07, 2010)
  MS Word (66K)
  
  
• ED/OIG 2010 Recovery Act Plan (Oct 09, 2009)
  MS Excel (53K)
  
  
• Narrative ED OIG 2009 Recovery Act Work Plan (May 26, 2009)
  MS Word (40K)
  
  
• ED/OIG 2009 Recovery Act Plan (May 26, 2009)
  MS Excel (44K)
  
  

Training:

• Outreach Presentation on Recovery Act Funds-Title IV Programs (April, 2009)
  PDF (1.81M)
  
  
• Outreach Presentation on Recovery Act Funds-State and Local Programs (April, 2009)
  PDF (1.75M)
  
  
• Effect of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the Single Audit
  PDF (538K)
  
  
• Implications of Recovery Act on Audits of Federal Agencies and their Recipients and Subrecipients
  PDF (172K)
  
  
• Accountability for Recovery Act Funds - NY State Webinar
  PDF (609K)
  
  

Whistleblower Protections under the Recovery Act

Section 1553 of the Recovery Act provides protections for certain individuals who make specified disclosures relating to Recovery Act funds. Any non-Federal employer receiving recovery funds is required to post a notice of the rights and remedies provided under this section of the Act.

Who is protected?
Employees of non-Federal employers receiving recovery funds, including State and local governments, contractors, subcontractors, grantees, professional membership organizations, or any person acting in the interest of recovery fund recipients.

What are Recovery Act Whistleblowers protected from?
Covered employees are protected from being discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure.

What kinds of disclosures are protected?
To be protected, the disclosure must be made by the employee to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, an Inspector General, the Comptroller General, a member of Congress, a State or Federal regulatory or law enforcement agency, a person with supervisory authority over the employee, a court or grand jury, the head of a Federal agency, or their representatives.

In addition, the disclosure must involve information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of:

• gross mismanagement of an agency contract or grant relating to recovery funds;
• a gross waste of recovery funds;
• a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety related to the implementation or use of recovery funds;
• an abuse of authority related to the implementation or use of recovery funds; or
• a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to an agency contract or grant relating to recovery funds.

How to report a Recovery Act Whistleblower reprisal complaint:
If you have a whistleblower reprisal complaint related to Recovery Act funds provided by the U.S. Department of Education, you must complete the ARRA Whistleblower Complaint Form located in the More Resourses box of this page and submit to:
Phone: 1-800-MISUSED
FAX: (202) 245-7047
Or wirte: Inspector General's Hotline
              Office of Inspector General
              U.S. Department of Education
              400 Maryland Avenue, SW
              Washington, DC 20202-1500