On Sept. 8, the Florida Board of Governors voted to approve the Classical Learning Test as a standardized test, submissible to state universities in Florida. The decision opens up the possibility for students interested in Florida public universities to take a standardized test for college admissions other than the SAT and ACT. 

The CLT’s founder, Jeremy Tate, taught English in the evenings at a high school before creating the test in 2015. According to the assessment’s website, the test strives to ensure that students not only learn information, but morals as well. The website discusses how education should instill virtue in students and that schools should teach about philosophy, ethics and religion. The website also says that on the CLT, most passages from the Verbal Reasoning and Grammar/Writing sections of the test are “drawn from classic literature and historical texts that have had a lasting influence on Western culture and society.”  

The CLT consists of three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing and Quantitative reasoning. The Verbal Reasoning section asks questions based on the texts provided, the Grammar/Writing section has a series of phrases in various passages that students may choose to correct or keep the same based on grammatical accuracy. The Quantitative Reasoning section consists of questions designed to test student’s algebra and geometry skills. 

Students have the option to take the test at home with their computers or in person at a testing site. For students who choose to take the test at home, their keystrokes, screen, audio, and video are recorded by the software that the test is administered through. 

The CLT costs $59, comparable to the SAT fee of $60 and the ACT fee of $68. Over 250 colleges and universities accept the CLT, the majority of which are religious institutions. Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis supported the Florida Board of Governors’ decision to require Florida’s public universities to accept CLT scores. In May, DeSantis signed a bill that made students with certain scores on the CLT qualify for Bright Futures scholarships funded by the state. 

Miami Palmetto Senior High Counselor and Student Services Department Chair Lisa Mallard says students can take the CLT to meet graduation requirements. 

“It’s something new for us this year, but having any opportunity for students to earn concordant scores for graduation requirements is a benefit and a win for us,” Mallard said.

According to Florida’s Department of Education, a combined score of 36 on the CLT Verbal Reasoning and Grammar/Writing sections is sufficient to meet graduation requirements if a student did not pass the FSA Grade 10 ELA Assessment. A score of 11 on the CLT Quantitative Reasoning section will meet the Algebra 1 End-of-Course requirement for graduation. 

Mallard says the CLT gives students another opportunity to show their academic abilities to schools and colleges.

“It’s definitely an opportunity that I think all students should take, and having all the options, why not? It’s not going to hurt you,” Mallard said.

The approval of the CLT comes at a time when Miami Dade County Public Schools is exploring implementing a classical curriculum in at least one elementary school for the 2024-2025 school year. As conservative support for classical education begins to shift educational policy in Florida, the debate over what children should learn in school continues.