Investigators looking into whether cheating took place on standardized tests in the Dougherty County school system say they are beginning to focus their efforts on 11 elementary schools.

The Albany Herald reports (http://bit.ly/pwQ3U9) that investigators will look more closely at scores from the 11 schools as the initial phase of their investigation comes to a close and they begin the next steps.

State officials have been trying to determine whether cheating took place on Criterion-Referenced Competency tests. Investigators say they've conducted about 450 interviews in connection with the Dougherty County probe.

An earlier state investigation into Atlanta Public Schools found widespread cheating in that district.

Tags: CRCT cheating, Albany-Dougherty, standardized test cheating