Summary

The Polk County District School Board (District) utilized automated student grading and record-keeping systems to, among other things, record, edit, report, and track student attendance-related information.  Our audit focused on evaluating selected information technology (IT) controls applicable to the student attendance systems during the period May 2006 through October 2006.

As described below, we noted that improvements were needed in certain controls over selected District IT functions and practices:

Finding No. 1:    A comprehensive, written Districtwide information security program had not been devised to ensure that exposures and vulnerabilities of IT resources had been sufficiently assessed by management and addressed through enforced user and system security controls.  

Finding No. 2:    There was a need for improved District level governance of the student attendance systems.

The Superintendent's response is included at the end of this report as Appendix B.