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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina education officials say nearly three out of every four public schools in the state got either an A or B in new letter-grade assessments.

The letter grades take into account test scores and whether they are improving. The grades replace the old system under the federal No Child Left Behind law, which failed a school if it didn't meet any of 27 different standards.

The state Education Department considers a C passing, and 84 percent of schools hit that mark. Officials say 10 percent of the state's 1,082 schools were given F's

Officials on Thursday also released results of standardized testing, which show improvements in grades three through eight. The number of students passing the test required to graduate high school on the first try also increased.