RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — As expected, Virginia education officials said Tuesday that new, more rigorous mathematics tests drove pass rates down notably during the last school year, the first in which students were tested under revised standards aimed at better preparing them for college or post-graduation employment.

The Virginia Department of Education officials said that while overall math results were down on the Standards of Learning tests for the 2011-2012 school year, the rates provide a “solid foundation” for future achievement.