The Texas Education Agency’s System of Internal Control Over Statewide Test Results

We performed our audit work at the Texas Education Agency (TEA), La Joya Independent School District (La Joya), Lufkin Independent School District, and Marion Independent School District. We determined that both the TEA and La Joya need to improve their systems of internal controls. We found that the TEA did not use analyses of test results and erasures to identify LEAs or schools to monitor, did not ensure that LEAs tested all qualified 10th grade students, had not assessed how LEAs or schools could influence outcomes of new State tests, and did not document its recommended corrective actions to address all Statewide test administration irregularities that La Joya reported or verified that La Joya implemented all corrective actions. We recommended that the TEA (1) strengthen its risk assessment and monitoring processes by using reviews of test results and analyses of erasure data, (2) identify ways that LEAs and schools can improperly influence test results and design mitigating controls, and (3) document the corrective actions that it recommends and verify that the LEAs implement the corrective actions. We found that La Joya did not properly administer Statewide tests, did not adequately document its reviews or provide records of all reviews of potential test administration irregularities, and did not report all test administration irregularities to TEA or did not report them in a timely manner. We recommended that La Joya strengthen its system of internal control by (1) properly administering Statewide tests, (2) adequately documenting its reviews of potential test administration irregularities, (3) retaining records of all reviews of potential test administration irregularities, and (4) reporting all test administration irregularities to TEA.