Local News in Brief : Teachers Will Be Questioned on Tests

A law firm hired to investigate discrepancies on California Assessment Program tests turned in by 36 Los Angeles Unified School District schools will begin questioning teachers on Monday, a district official said.

State Department of Education officials said a suspiciously high number of answers were changed from wrong to right on exam books turned in by more than 50 schools statewide in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

The Los Angeles district last September ordered an investigation by the Monterey Park firm of Barbosa & Vera to determine whether tampering occurred and to find out who was responsible.

A copy of the letter the law firm mailed out this week informs teachers that the firm is “following all legitimate leads” and that while teachers are “not being specifically accused of wrongdoing at the present time, it is possible that disciplinary proceedings could arise against you as a result of this investigation.”