By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Parties in a long-running teacher testing case say they've reached a revised agreement. That means testing could resume in 2006 for the first time in two decades. The Alabama State University board approved the revised deal Monday. The Alabama Board of Education will now review and vote on the proposal December 9. Federal District Judge Myron Thompson is expected to hold a hearing on the agreement December 20. Both sides reached the new agreement almost three months ago. It allows the Alabama State students in the case to represent all future would-be teachers. It also allows a panel of testing experts to have more power to review the standards that the state sets for what constitutes passing and failing on the exams. But the state will retain the power to pick what tests it will use and what will constitute passing.