Alabama state school superintendent, Tommy Bice,
is recommending a complete overhaul of the state's testing program.

The Birmingham News reports Bice says it is time to raise performance standards.

His proposed changes include requiring higher minimum scores necessary for a student to pass and adding more components that consider more than multiple-choice questions.

Bice says the state should not allow students to reach eighth grade before their weaknesses are identified and remedied.

He says that while students may be meeting expectations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the law does not always translate into
success.

The state has a mediocre high school graduation rate, and many who are accepted into college need remedial courses before they can begin their post-secondary curriculum.