INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A permanent committee of student testing experts will be established to oversee development and operation of Indiana’s ISTEP exam and other standardized tests.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to approve creation of the panel.

The move follows broad criticism of the ISTEP exam that’s taken by more than 400,000 students in grades three through eight. That includes a big jump in testing time needed for the spring 2015 exam and long delays in providing results to parents and schools because of the outside testing company’s struggles to finish grading work.

An education board spokesman says the state currently has an expert committee during years when major changes are made to the test, but a permanent panel is aimed at avoiding future problems.