A state lawmaker says Nebraska needs a more precise way to measure student performance and improvement within individual public schools.

No child left behind. Statewide reading, writing, math and science assessments. They all measure student achievement.

But one state lawmaker says that's not the whole picture.

If kids aren't meeting state standards, Senator Greg Adams wants a better idea than just a test score.

Sen. Adams says, "I think you need to do more than just look at the 11th grade math assessment, boom, snapshot, one time, one group of people any size school."

That's why his bill heard by the Legislature's Education Committee would allow the State Board of Education to add graduation rates and individual growth as components to measure student achievement.

He says, "It looks at how much improvement a school or class has made."

Nebraska Commissioner of Education Roger Breed adds, "It takes all of the fourth graders as a class and measures their levels of learning and then takes those individuals in the fifth grade and it determines if there's been a level of growth."

Breed testified in favor of the bill. He says it's a must.

Breed says, "If we do not have a state accountability system, we default to a federal system. And right now the only one is the No Child Left Behind act, which is very narrow measure."

During the hearing no one testified against the bill, but that doesn't mean Senators and testifiers didn't raise concerns about the bill."

Breed says, "There's worry about complexity, cost, and what Senator Harr brought up is the focus on test scores. Schools should be a place of fun, creativity."

Sen. Adams adds, "We also have to be careful in what means we intervene and constructively."

The bill does not touch on how to boost schools who are under achieving, but Tuesday one thing was made clear.

State Board of Education Member and Accountability Committee Chair Bob Evnen testified, "We're not looking for punitive actions against people, just how to improve the educational environment for children."

Evnen hopes the state can find those answers this year.

Adams bill would require the State Board of Education to develop a new accountability system by Aug. 1. The new system would factor graduation rates, improving test scores and other variables into a school's overall performance review.

The bill comes on the heels of a new statewide testing system for math and reading. Results released last year showed nearly four in 10 Nebraska students failing to meet the new math standards.