The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has undertaken a number of initiatives for the 6-month period ending September 30, 1996, to help Education Department managers identify and address issues whose successful resolution is critical to the department's fiscal and management integrity. This semiannual report highlights those activities, which are categorized in the areas of reauthorization, regulation, Congressional testimony, postsecondary education, departmental operations, the auditing of quality-improvement initiatives, and statutory federal law enforcement authority. The report also contains a list of incident frequencies under P.L. 95-452 reporting requirements and the following three abstracts: (1) "Significant Audits and Audit-related Activities"; (2) "Significant Prosecutive Actions Resulting from OIG Investigations"; and (3) "Initiatives Conducted in Response to Congressional Requests." Six statistical tables, a glossary of abbreviations, and contact information are included. (LMI)