INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Preliminary findings show school A-F letter grades have plummeted across Indiana as a result of stringent new test standards mandated by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Democratic state schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz has long warned the drop was coming. But data obtained Friday by the Associated Press shows just how dramatic it was.

The number of schools that received an A plunged by more than 50 percent. Meanwhile, the number of those receiving an F soared to 17 percent. Last year only about 4 percent of schools did that badly.

Republican Gov. Mike Pence and some lawmakers have shown an interest in passing a bill that could give schools a reprieve from those scores. But they have not offered a specific policy yet.