COLUMBUS (AP) — Less than half of Ohio students met the academic standards on new Common Core tests that were taken the last school year, according to preliminary test results.

The results were shared with the Ohio Board of Education and show that passage rates have dropped from previous standardized testing. About 26 percent to 40 percent of elementary and middle school students met or exceeded expectations on math and English exams.

High school exams had higher results, but officials said those tests were taken by fewer and mostly advanced ninth-grade students.

The results only include Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exams that were taken online or about 64 percent of exams that were taken last spring. Complete scores won’t be available for several weeks.

State officials said the lower scores were to be expected.

“There was greater rigor in these exams. They are harder,” Mike Collins, a board member from Westerville, told The Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio’s standard includes scores in the top three of five rankings for student performance, with a student having to at least be “proficient” to meet expectations.

In contrast, PARCC’s mark for meeting expectations is the state equivalent of “accelerated” or “advanced.” “Proficient” is considered to just be approaching expectations.

Sen. Peggy Lehner, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, said that the data is incomplete.

“We have incomplete data, we have new standards, new tests, new rigor. There are too many moving parts to draw any real conclusions,” she said.

The board of education is poised to set a lower benchmark for students that would allow more to pass.