Dept. of Education Watchdog Will “Look Into” ESSA Oversight, Civil Rights Issues
November 29, 2018
Klein reports for Education Week that “The U.S. Department of Education’s internal watchdog—the Office of the Inspector General—will be looking at the agency’s process for dismissing civil rights complaints.” The OIG will also “examine the department’s oversight of state accountability systems developed under the Every Student Succeeds Act, paying special attention to how schools are identified and improvement plans.” Congressional Democrats—led by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), the incoming chairman of the House education committee—have expressed concern that “some states aren’t taking the performance of vulnerable students into account in flagging schools for improvement.” The OIG will also examine whether the Dept. of Education is “properly overseeing the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, the $1.1 billion block grant created under ESSA.”