AUSTIN (January 22, 2013)—State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, a key education leader in the Texas Senate, wants to overhaul high school graduation requirements and reduce by two thirds the number of standardized tests students must pass.

Seliger, who chairs the Senate Higher Education Committee, introduced a bill Tuesday that would scrap current graduation requirements mandating that students take four years each of math, science, English and social studies.

Instead, students would take four credits in English, three in math and social studies, and two in science and foreign language.

They would also have to take a fine arts credit and one in physical education as well as 10 elective credits.

Instead of 15 exams in core subjects, students would need to pass five tests in reading, Algebra I, U.S. history, writing and biology.