Some public school students cried when told they failed state math and social studies tests.

Parents consoled their children, trying to convince them they're not dumb. The parents demanded to know why teachers and state education officials didn't do enough to prepare students.

Many teachers said the Georgia Department of Education failed to give them enough training or materials to teach new curricula.

These three groups share an anger and frustration toward the state and State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox after this week's breakdown concerning preliminary results on some portions of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.

"When you mess with our children, the lioness comes out and we're not going to sit back quietly," said Wendy Ashabranner of Fayetteville, whose son failed the eighth-grade math test. "What's happened is just inexcusable."

Nearly every day came surprising news about preliminary results from this year's tests.

The state announced Monday that about 40 percent of eight-graders failed the new, tougher math test. Eighth-graders must pass the test to move on to high school. Results were worse on the sixth- and seventh-grade social studies tests, with 70 percent to 80 percent failing, though passing isn't required for grade promotion.

Cox thew out the social studies scores Wednesday, citing a disconnect between the test, the standards and what teachers taught. She kept the math scores, explaining the results were valid. She said the state needs more rigorous math education if children are to succeed in college and the workforce.

Then the state released records showing projections that anticipated such high failure rates.

These developments led Ashabranner to think about pulling her son, Evan Champion, out of Fayette Middle and enrolling him in private school. Her son cried after learning he failed.

"This isn't just a little mess or a little problem," she said. "And now I'm supposed to trust them to fix it? "

Evan failed the state test by eight points, even though he earned A's and B's in the class. He said the test included topics his teacher didn't get to in class.

"I failed even though I worked hard and studied and did my homework and did all the practice tests," Evan said. "I failed and now I may get left back."

The results and the way the state handled the situation has infuriated teachers as well, said Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators.

"One of the really bad things about this whole debacle is it shakes the confidence of everyone in the system," Callahan said.

The state has heard from parents, teachers and others frustrated and angered by what happened, said Dana Tofig, spokesman for the state education department.

"We realize this is an emotional issue for parents and teachers and we certainly sympathize with that," he said.

In an e-mail, Tofig drew a distinction between social studies and math. While the state found problems with the social studies standards, none was found with math, he wrote. In fact, the state projections showed an even worse failure rate, with about half failing.

Tofig wrote that data show there were no unusual problems with the new math curriculum and tests. He expected scores to improve as teachers become more comfortable with the standards.

The exam "was certainly a more rigorous test, but the data shows us that a majority of Georgia's students were able to handle the increased rigor and get over the bar," Tofig wrote. He also wrote that a large number of students who failed came very close to passing.

Students face no consequences if they fail the social studies exam, but the state said changes will be made because of the obvious disconnect. The state will ask a panel of teachers and curriculum experts to review what went wrong. Depending on its findings, the group may suggest changes to the standards and possibly the test.

"The issues that led to the invalidation of the social studies scores can absolutely be fixed," Tofig wrote. "We certainly will not rush any changes but we will also work efficiently to make sure any needed revisions are made to the curriculum."

Some social studies teachers said the state is putting too much emphasis on the panel. The panel's recommendations must be approved quickly so teachers can receive training on the revisions before students return in August.

Jason Adams, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Lost Mountain Middle in Cobb County, questioned why teachers should expect any improvements.

"It's not like they did well by us this year," he said.

Lang Oglesby, who teaches seventh grade at Schley County Middle School, expects the problems to continue next year, so he plans to teach something else. "This ordeal, this debacle took something away from me," he said. "I lost the confidence to do well by my kids."