Florida’s state university system will now accept the Classic Learning Test in college admissions, after the board of governors voted this month to approve the CLT as an alternative to the national testing duopoly of the SAT and ACT. Whether the classic test will catch on is anybody’s guess, but credit to its creators, and Florida, for giving it the college try.
The media coverage has been highly amusing. “The College Board, which oversees the SAT, said there is little evidence proving the CLT can adequately assess college preparedness,” NPR reported. Big news: Coke thinks Pepsi doesn’t adequately quench thirst. Colleges will surely figure out how to benchmark the CLT as it comes into use, and its makers will probably adjust after getting more data on student outcomes.
Inside Higher Ed said critics argue the CLT “places too heavy an emphasis on biblical passages and traditional Western thought,” including texts from “largely white men with questionable positions on race, LGBTQ+ rights and multiculturalism.”