Florida adopts ‘Classic Learning Test’ for college admissions.

“Because we reject ⁣the status quo, today’s decision means we are ‍better serving students by giving them an opportunity to showcase ‌their academic potential and paving ⁣the path to higher education,” the‌ system said ‌in a statement on Sept. 8.

Florida’s ⁣state university ​system is the second-largest public university ‌system⁢ in the United States, with 12 universities and more than 430,000 students.

“The CLT places a ​strong emphasis on classical education, which includes a focus on reading, writing, and‌ critical thinking skills,” the system‍ said in ‍a statement. “It is​ designed to ⁢align with a classical liberal arts curriculum, which some educators and ⁢institutions believe provides a more well-rounded and meaningful ⁤education.”

Founded in‌ 2015 by former⁤ high school English teacher Jeremy Tate,‍ the CLT assessment’s classical education model focuses on ​standardized tests​ that ⁢are “rooted in tradition” while seeking to be a “catalyst for renewal in‌ education‌ nationwide,” according to the CLT website.

More ​than 200 colleges and universities nationwide currently accept the CLT as ⁣an alternative to ‍the SAT and ACT‌ for admissions.

In a concordance study (pdf) that compares SAT scores‍ with CLT scores, the ‍authors described the CLT as aiming to provide “an assessment that is⁣ intellectually richer than other college entrance ​exams, with the⁢ end goal of promoting a⁢ classical curriculum that ‍forms ⁢individuals who are ‘intellectually⁢ curious, think deeply, reason well, and live with integrity.'”

‘Huge Milestone’

Mr. Tate, who now serves as CEO ‍of the CLT, said ‍in an open letter obtained ⁣by The ‍Epoch‌ Times that his work‍ to develop the exam was driven by ⁤his classroom ​experiences teaching English, in particular with students who were failing ‌and had experienced years of boredom in school working with texts sanitized in line with the latest “woke” educational trends that seek to shield students from anything potentially distressing.

In an⁢ interview with⁣ Fox News on Sept. 8, Mr. Tate called ‌that day’s ‍decision by Florida’s state university system a “huge milestone.”

“I’ve been so impressed with the folks in Florida; their commitment to excellence in education has been incredible,” he told the outlet.

Mr. Tate said ⁣that ‍SAT and ACT sensitivity committees have “dumbed down” the tests ⁤so that students don’t get distressed reading them.

“The ‌idea there is that if a ⁤kid reads anything distressing or upsetting, then they’re not going to get an accurate score,” he⁢ said. “And it’s gotten so ⁣ridiculous that they don’t end up putting anything of meaning or substance in front⁢ of students.”

Not all of‌ the board members of the Florida⁢ State University System backed the CLT approval.

University of Florida professor ⁤Amanda Phalin, as⁢ the sole objector, said that she didn’t oppose the CLT in principle ‍but ⁣merely “the use ⁤of it at this ⁢time” ​because of a lack of empirical evidence showing that it’s of the⁤ same quality as the SAT and the ACT.

“I’m simply concerned ⁢because the test’s reliability and validity ⁤have not been independently demonstrated or verified,” she said during the‍ meeting.

The College Board, ⁣a nonprofit organization that develops and administers standardized tests and curricula used by K-12 ‍and⁣ post-secondary education institutions, has recognized the ⁢role ‍the CLT can play in a “diverse ⁢educational landscape” ⁢but ‍has ‍found flaws ​with the ⁤concordance study that meant to compare students’ scores on the CLT with ones on the SAT.