RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- New cut scores could mean more Virginia students failing their SOL exams.

As 8News reported on September 25, the Virginia Board of Education approved higher cut scores in reading and math, meaning Virginia students will have to answer more questions correctly to be considered proficient.

Projections compiled by the Virginia Department of Education don’t show the exact number of students who will fail, however, in nearly every grade and subject (in math and reading), pass rates will plummet below 50%.

Take fourth grade, for example. Under the current cut scores, 73% of students passed their reading SOL exam. However, under the newer cut scores, only 40% of fourth graders are projected to pass.

In math, the projections show a similar story. The current pass rate f

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