Florida’s public universities are expected to approve the Classic Learning Test which focuses on Western and Christian thought

Florida students could soon be offered an alternative to standard testing methods, such as the SAT and ACT, when they apply to the state’s public universities.

The Board of Directors votes to make scores of the Classic learning test or CLT a third option and, if approved, would be introduced before the fall semester.

The CLT markets itself as an exam that focuses on Western traditions and texts and since its debut in 2016 has been used primarily by homeschool students and mostly accepted at Christian colleges.

The new test was pushed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in an effort to shake up the education system as the number of students taking the SAT declines.

In May, DeSantis signed a new measure that meant teens could use the test to qualify for Florida’s popular Bright Futures scholarships — which help with tuition.

But despite his support, Jeremy Tate, founder of Classic Learning Initiatives, the company that developed the test, has maintained that it is strictly apolitical.

The company has described the CLT as part of the “greater educational freedom movement of our time” in hopes of “promoting a classic curriculum.”

The DeSantis administration has fought with the College Board — the creators of the SAT — over the content of the Advanced Placement courses and is adamant that it wants alternatives.

From Florida Southwestern State College, DeSantis slammed the board for integrating “queer theory” and “intersectionality” into proposed advanced placement (AP) courses on African American studies, leading the Department of Education (DOE) to reject the courses .

Despite Governor Ron DeSantis’ support for the test, Jeremy Tate, founder of Classic Learning Initiatives, the company that developed the test, has stressed that the test is strictly apolitical.

“Ultimately, we brought to the attention issues that were very problematic,” DeSantis told reporters at a February press conference on the matter.

“It wasn’t just people like me saying that, people across the political spectrum were saying that.

“You know, this really sucks,” he added. “Why don’t we just do and teach the things that matter? Why does someone always have to try to push their agenda down our throats?’

The board of directors, in turn, asked questions about the CLT, saying that when reviewing the practice tests, the math portion was found to be too easy, with 25 percent of questions below high school level, they wrote in a statement.

The CLT tests grammar, English and math. It says that two-thirds of its reading and writing passages come from its “author bank,” which focuses heavily on ancient, medieval, and “early modern” (mid-1400s to early 19th-century) writers.

The test is administered online, takes approximately two hours and can be administered remotely at school or at home.

A study published in April found how scores on the CLT test could be linked to the ACT and SAT.

For example, it says that a 92 on the CLT, which has a top score of 120, equates to a 28 on the ACT, which has a top score of 36, and a 1,300 on the SAT, which has a top score of 1600.

In May, DeSantis signed a new measure that meant teens could use the test to qualify for Florida’s popular Bright Futures scholarships — helping with tuition

The board will vote on making the CLT an admission option at a meeting at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

The College Board argued that the study did not make enough use of student scores, did not take demographics into account, did not control when students took high school exams, or based its findings on official scores, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

“The study was based largely on self-reported SAT scores, and more than 20 percent of the scores used in the study were different from the scores colleges had recorded,” the College Board told the paper.

The study used scores from 5,000 students, while a recent study that equated SAT and ACT scores used nearly 590,000 students, she added.

“As a result, a very good score on the CLT may not necessarily indicate an equally high score on the SAT, which is aligned with the high school levels reflected in state standards,” she added.

The CLT told the paper that the critiques were not accurate and they stand by their research, which was “developed over months.”

“Technical representatives from all three organizations are meeting to discuss this and hope that all three organizations can come to an agreement together,” said Noah Tyler, CLT’s chief financial officer.

The ACT has not publicly commented on the CLT test method.

In 2022, about 87 percent of high school students took the SAT and about 46 percent took the ACT.

The CLT expects approval since its website already lists seven of Florida’s public universities, including the University of Central Florida and Florida State University, as “partner” colleges.

The board will vote on making the CLT an admission option at a meeting at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Do you think YOU could succeed? Do the test here.