A state audit of the Canutillo Independent School District confirms that manipulation was done to affect federal accountability ratings.

As KFOX14 previously reported, the Texas Education Agency was notified of an internal audit that revealed improper conduct by then-superintendent Damon Murphy.

The findings by the internal auditor revealed several discrepancies. One involved a group of 10th graders at Canutillo High School, who were advanced to the 11th grade halfway through the year because they were Limited English Proficiency students. Therefore those LEP students were intentionally excluded from taking the 10th-grade assessment test. Those students test scores would have been factored into federal accountability measures.

State auditors found that manipulation into the LEP subgroups did occur in the 2010 and 2011 school year at Canutillo High School.

Gustavo Reveles Acosta, a spokesperson for the district, said they are working with the state on an action plan that does not affect the district's certification or standing. The action plan gives the district a clear outline of what needs to be done in order to correct the irregularities found in the audit.

CISD officials said the district was able to identify and take proper action on these issues, and it was a direct result of the school board having a properly functional internal audit.

"The results of the audit and the recommendations from TEA validate CISD's efforts to quickly and appropriately address irregularities," CISD Board President Armando Rodriguez said. "TEA has imposed no sanctions on the district, and no further action is expected from the state... The district's comprehensive corrective action plan, as well as other efforts initiated by the district to address the subject matter, were accepted by the TEA and deemed an appropriate solution to the irregularities that were identified by our internal and the state auditors."

The action plan aims to address proper procedures to award and recover credits, graduation plans, foreign-credit review and testing, officials said.

"We appreciate that Canutillo ISD immediately self-reported its preliminary findings, cooperated fully in the investigative activities, and was prompt and responsive to all of the agency's request," said Emi Johnson, TEA's director of special investigations.

The plan will also lead to personnel action, staff reassignments, revision of job descriptions, training on proper procedures and the hiring of contracted services to help implement and oversee new procedures and established policies.

"We will continue to work to improve our internal systems to guarantee fair and accurate federal and state accountability standards in Canutillo," said interim Superintendent Annette Brigham. "The audit results will help us become an even better servant to the students of the Canutillo community we have vowed to educate."

TEA will continue to monitor the district's progress through the action plan and will conduct an on-site review possibly at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year, officials said.