NASHVILLE (AP) — A proposal that would prohibit standardized test scores from being tied to teacher licensing is advancing in the House.

The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Matthew Hill of Jonesborough was approved on a voice vote in the House Education Committee 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 legislation would prevent the policy from taking effect if the board approves it.

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 and could lead to a flawed evaluation of a teacher.

Rutherford County middle school teacher Ashley Evett says connecting anything unreliable to licensing is ridiculous.