Florida universities may soon administer Classic Learning Test, an alternative to ACT, SAT

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in May that authorized Florida school districts to administer the Classic Learning Test (CLT), a new and controversial standardized test, alongside the SAT and ACT. Now the Florida Department of Education will consider adding the CLT as an acceptable exam for university admissions.

The CLT is a new “classical and Christian” alternative to the SAT and ACT standardized tests that was created in 2015 by Maryland educator Jeremy Tate, who believes American education has become “utilitarian” and that “high-stakes” testing is partially to blame.

More than 200 colleges and universities accept CLT scores, but that list mostly consists of private universities.

The New College of Florida became the first Florida public university to accept the standardized test earlier this year following a push from DeSantis, who wants to explore alternatives to Advanced Placement high school curriculum after the governor tussled with the College Board over a proposed AP African American studies course.

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The College Board, which administers the SAT, has said that it recognizes the role that the CLT and other assessments can play in a diverse educational landscape but rebuked a concordance relationship study published by the Classic Learning Initiatives in April.

The Florida Department of Education is expected to discuss the topic during its August meeting.

Here’s what you should know about the CLT.

What is the Classic Learning Test?

The Classic Learning Test is a new standardized testing alternative to the SAT and ACT. It was created in 2015 by Jeremy Tate, who says that it was his previous teaching experience that inspired him to eventually create the test, which uses passages from classical curriculum that have had a “lasting influence on culture and society.”

There are four CLT exams that students can take, each focusing on different grade levels. The CLT is the college entrance exam for grades 11 and 12, CLT 10 is a college preparatory exam for grades 9 and 10, CLT 8 is a high school readiness program for grades 7 and 8 and CLT 3-6 is a diagnostic and summative exam for grades 3-6.

The CLT offers both online and paper assessments that evaluate English, grammar and math skills. According to the website, the CLT differs from other tests by emphasizing “foundational critical thinking skills.”

Examples of the test can be found on the CLT website.

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What does the Classic Learning Test cover?

Like other standardized tests, CLT covers topics like English, math and science. It is broken up into three main sections: Verbal reasoning, grammar/writing and quantitative reasoning. There is also an optional Essay section, similar to the SAT.

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning, according to the Classic Learning Initiatives, assesses a student’s ability to understand and analyze text. It’s divided into two domains, comprehension and analysis. Students will be tested using passages from literature, science articles and essays, philosophy and religion and historical documents.

Grammar/writing

The grammar/writing section of the test has students editing text to correct errors and improve readability. Students will demonstrate their ability to use correct punctuation, convey clear and concise points, make transitions, choose correct parts of speech, match verb tense and more. The CLT uses passages from philosophy/religion, historical profile, science and modern/influential thinkers.

Quantitative reasoning

The quantitative reasoning section is the logic portion of the test that uses a variety of questions involving symbols and shapes to assess their logic and reasoning ability. This section is broken into three domains: Algebra, geometry and mathematical reasoning.

What is the difference between the SAT/ACT and the Classic Learning Test?

The primary difference between the SAT/ACT and CLT comes down to its focus on “classical education.” The CLT heavily relies on the use of classical literature throughout the verbal reasoning and grammar/writing sections of the test. A point of contention among critics of the test is its use of exam passages that use works from religious figures and authors like Pope John Paul II and C.S. Lewis, according to NBC.

The CLT exam is also shorter, clocking in at about two hours. The ACT and SAT last three hours each and have more questions than the CLT, comparatively.

CLT scores are also calculated differently. A perfect score for the CLT is 120, which is a technically higher score than students taking the ACT and SAT can achieve, according to the CLI’s own scoring comparison.

And, unlike the SAT/ACT, the CLT can be taken online, though students will be able to take the SAT online next year, and the ACT is currently offered online in some states.

What are the advantages of taking the CLT?

The CLT is only accepted at a limited number of colleges, most of which are small, religious and private universities, which nullify many of the reasons students would consider the CLT over the ACT and SAT. Students looking to apply at one of the schools that accepts the exam would mainly do so to qualify for academic scholarships offered for students who take the exam.

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What do critics say about the CLT?

Critics have come out against the CLT for several reasons. In an analysis of the CLI’s concordance relationship report comparing the CLT to the SAT, the College Board found that a quarter of the math questions on the CLT’s practice test were below high school grade level. Questions about important math concepts like statistics were missing on the CLT. It also noted that CLI has not published any evidence of validity or predictiveness or college performance.

The College Board also criticized the methodologies CLI used in its report. CLI’s study used four different samples totaling about 5,000 students and did not report their demographics or what controls were used to ensure proper representation. Comparatively, the College Board uses a sample size of 589,753 in its most recent concordance with the ACT. The board also noted that the SAT score data was not verified, using mostly self-reported SAT scores, 20% of which were different than the scores colleges had on record.

Other critics, like civil rights education group FairTest, have said that the CLT’s focus on classical texts is simply outdated and told NBC that testing students’ comprehension of older language does little to serve them today.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida universities may soon accept new alternative to ACT, SAT exam