Starting this May, new teachers in the Yellowhammer State will finally have to start passing a subject matter test in order to attain licensure. Alabama's not the only state to take a while implementing content testing in the wake of NCLB--but its reasons for the delay are unique.

Alabama was actually among the first states to adopt subject matter testing requirements in 1981. The requirement drew an immediate outcry from students and educators at historically black Alabama State University, who claimed that the tests were racially biased; in 1986, the fight ended when a court rule forced the state to abandon the tests.

The state department of education, ASU, and the individuals who initially brought the lawsuit have all agreed to the new testing regimen. Since 2000, the state has only been doing basic skills testing of new teachers.