BOSTON -- Massachusetts is expected to announce failing grades in math for some aspiring new elementary school teachers.

Only 27 percent of the more than 600 teacher candidates who took the state's new licensing test passed, according to the Boston Globe.

The state is asking the Board of Education to give those who just missed the passing mark a temporary license and then require teachers to pass the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure within five years.

The high failure rate may be to blame for poor student achievement in math at the middle and high school levels, the Globe reported.

Teacher union representatives and some educators said that teacher preparation programs fail to adequately train them in math instruction and instead focus more on reading and writing.

The state provides teachers with practice tests to help educators prepare for the exam. The math practice test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and two open-response assignments.

Click here to view the sample math test.