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Open Recommendations

High School Aviation Maintenance Programs: FAA Should Assess Expanding Access to the Mechanic Knowledge Test
GAO-26-108303
Sep 01, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should establish a group of industry stakeholders and aviation experts to assess whether high school students, upon successful completion of aviation maintenance curricula at uncertificated schools, should be allowed to take the general written knowledge test. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

K-12 Education: Improved Oversight Could Help DOD Schools Better Support Students with Literacy and Math Skill Deficits
GAO-26-108038
Aug 26, 2026
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8 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DODEA Director eliminates gaps in DODEA's current approach to screening students for literacy and math deficits. This could include adopting screening tools that assess foundational phonic skills in elementary school and expanding access to existing screeners that are currently only available to middle and high school students already receiving strategic literacy or math instruction. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DODEA Director analyzes data on the reasons why Student Support Teams reject referrals for students who may benefit from additional literacy and math support and use this information to better ensure the completeness, quality, and timeliness of referrals. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DODEA Director identifies referrals for special education that have been rejected due to poor quality or incomplete information and use the results to improve the completeness and quality of referrals systemwide. For example, by identifying the districts with the highest rejection rates using available data in its special education information system, DODEA could identify common patterns for rejections due to poor quality or incomplete data and take achievable steps to improve the quality of the referrals. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DODEA Director analyzes factors within its control contributing to delays in the special education evaluation process and take appropriate steps to address them. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DODEA Director clarifies that feedback forms provided to strategic instruction and special education teachers at the end of agency-wide professional learning sessions are designed for general feedback about these teachers' future professional learning needs and use this feedback to inform future professional learning offerings. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DODEA Director ensures that special education teachers who teach students needing specialized reading interventions receive the professional learning necessary to teach these interventions with fidelity. This should include systemwide monitoring of teacher certifications for specialized reading interventions, as well as associated training rates. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Federal Student Loans: Education Could Better Coordinate with Servicers When Making Program Changes
GAO-26-107780
Aug 06, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Education The Secretary of Education should ensure that Federal Student Aid develops and implements formal criteria for determining when to conduct early coordination with servicers. For example, when dealing with complex changes or tight time frames, Education could consider if early coordination with servicers could ease implementation challenges. (Recommendation 1)
Open
Education disagreed with this recommendation. Education stated that establishing such criteria would be detrimental to the agency and servicers' ability to implement changes in a timely and efficient manner while also being responsive to dynamic administration priorities. The agency also stated that establishing formal criteria would create challenges and risks that could negatively impact the agency and servicers. GAO believes, however, that having formal criteria for early coordination would help Education ensure servicers have the information they need to implement changes in a timely and efficient manner, while providing needed flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Using such criteria would positively impact Education and servicers. We will monitor the agency's efforts.

Head Start: Office of Head Start Could Improve Communication with Tribal Programs
GAO-26-107775
May 13, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should ensure OHS identifies and addresses the causes of challenges in the timeliness and consistency of its communication with Tribal Head Start programs related to improving enrollment. (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation. HHS said OHS would assess current communication practices and implement standardized procedures to improve timeliness, consistency, and clarity in its engagement with Tribal Head Start programs. OHS recognizes that enrollment remains an ongoing challenge for Tribal Head Start programs, with factors including workforce shortages and transportation limitations, and would incorporate these considerations into its efforts. We will monitor the agency's progress to address this recommendation.
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