Here's a NYT article on the same topic:

The drop-offs were most drastic for black and Latino students, as well as those with disabilities and those still learning English, primarily because many of the students had been just above the minimum proficiency rates under the old standards.

While the test scores paint a bleak portrait in New York City, urban districts upstate fared worse. In Rochester, just 25 percent of all students were at grade level in reading, compared with 56 percent last year. In Buffalo, 26 percent of eighth-grade students met the state's standards in math, although 58 percent did so last year.

--------------------

Standards Raised, More Students Fail Tests

By JENNIFER MEDINA

Published: July 28, 2010

www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/education/29scores.html