Florida is on the verge of becoming the first state to embrace the Classic Learning Test (CLT) for public college admissions, potentially leaving behind the SAT and ACT.
The State University System of Florida's Board of Governors is set to vote on this matter later this month, following the approval of legislation by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in May. This legislation allows school districts to choose the CLT as an alternative to the SAT or ACT for 11th-grade public school students.
Critics of the CLT argue that it places too much emphasis on Western and European thought. Julian Vasquez Heilig, provost and Vice President at Western Michigan University, believes that "classical education is really a wolf in sheep's clothing" and that it promotes a specific moral ideology using selective Western thinkers. Others suggest that this move is part of an attempt by Florida Republicans to reshape the state's education system based on more conservative teachings.
The CLT, launched in 2015 and initially used by homeschooling families, is similar to the SAT and ACT in that it assesses students' reading, grammar, and math skills. However, it differs in that it focuses on meaningful pieces of literature that have stood the test of time. The test is rooted in the classical education model, which emphasizes the centrality of the Western tradition.
Jeremy Tate, the founder and president of the CLT, criticizes the College Board, which administers the SAT, for being a politically biased organization that ignores the Western intellectual tradition. He believes that the CLT provides students with exposure to Western greats such as Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Thomas Jefferson, rather than engaging with the writings of leftist intellectuals and literary unknowns.
The CLT aims to reconnect knowledge and virtue by providing meaningful assessments and connections to seekers of truth, goodness, and beauty. Clay Daniel, founder of Clayborne Test Prep and Tutoring, describes the CLT as a rich experience that goes beyond a typical multiple-choice test. He believes that it encourages students to compare the works of Plato and the Federalist Papers and think critically about their interplay.
According to Tate, standardized testing provides an opportunity to engage students with the texts and authors that have shaped history and culture. He argues that the goal of education should be human formation and the cultivation of virtue, rather than just college and career readiness. Tate believes that this purpose for education has been lost in the age of credentialing.
The CLT offers several exams for different grade levels, including the college entrance exam for grades 11 and 12, the college preparatory exam for grades 9 and 10, the high school readiness program for grades 7 and 8, and a diagnostic exam for grades 3-6. Over 100,000 CLT tests have been administered so far.
More than 200 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, including religiously oriented institutions like Hillsdale College, Baylor University Honors College, and John Brown University, accept CLT scores. New College of Florida became the first public university in the state to accept the CLT as an alternative to the SAT and ACT in May.
Governor DeSantis has been supportive of the CLT, ratifying a bill in May that funds all school districts in Florida to use the CLT for 11th-graders. He also enabled the CLT to be used by students to qualify for the state's Bright Futures college scholarship.
The Florida Board of Governors is expected to vote on adopting the CLT on August 30. If approved, universities could start accepting CLT scores for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.
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