ST. PAUL — Minnesota Republicans back in control of the state House will likely pursue changing how public school teachers are laid off.

Eliminating the so-called “last in, first out” rule is one of several changes lawmakers have in mind for the 2015 legislative session. State law currently says schools can only consider teacher seniority when making layoffs, unless districts set different policies.

Rep. Sondra Erickson, a Republican and former English teacher who will chair the House education policy committee, says seniority is also too big a factor in how teachers are placed in schools.

She says that means novice instructors end up in the toughest classrooms.

Lawmakers are also eyeing how to narrow the state’s wide achievement gap between white and minority students and cutting the number of tests.