NASHVILLE (AP) — Legislation that would prohibit student test scores from being tied to teacher licensing has passed a key House panel.

The proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Matthew Hill of Jonesborough passed the House Education Subcommittee 8-1 on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Department of Education recommended the new licensure policy, and the State Board of Education voted in August to support it. However, the board changed its stance in January.

The Tennessee Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, has long argued that the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, or TVAAS data, shouldn't be relied upon because it's a statistical estimate.

Hill says a license is a teacher's "most prized possession" and shouldn't be jeopardized using an estimate.

Earlier this week, the TEA announced it's suing the Knox County Board of Education, claiming the student test scores used to assess a teacher's performance were flawed and cost her a bonus.