MIAMI – Florida’s public university system has approved a new entrance exam that emphasizes classical Western thought. The Classic Learning Test (CLT) was adopted by the Board of Governors of the 12-campus State University System of Florida on a voice vote with just one dissenting vote. The test had already been authorized for use in the state’s public elementary and secondary schools, and will now be accepted along with the more traditional SAT and ACT exams.
Jeremy Tate, who founded the CLT exam, wrote that he was concerned about students “who had gone through an education system that neglected any consideration of religion, philosophy, ethics, or the nature of good and evil.”
The CLT has three sections, covering verbal reasoning, grammar and writing, and quantitative reasoning. However, it also includes a section on classical Western thought, which is defined as “the ideas, values, and traditions that have shaped Western civilization.”
Charles Laplante, “Aristotle and his pupil, Alexander,” 1866. [public domain]
The colleges and universities that currently use the CLT as part of their admissions are predominantly faith-based institutions – among them Bob Jones College, Liberty University, and Wheaton College, all with conservative Evangelical Christian missions.
The approval of the CLT is the newest move by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to overhaul education to a more conservative perspective. In recent months, DeSantis has banned the teaching of topics such as critical race theory and LGBTQ+ issues, and has also restricted the use of certain textbooks. Among his controversies have been statements addressing the benefits of American slavery in teaching enslaved people “skills“, specifically how “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
He has also appointed conservative members to the state’s education board and university settings, most notably at the New College of Florida.
Earlier this year DeSantis signed a bill “that opened the state’s Bright Futures college scholarship program to accept Classic Learning Test scores, in addition to ACT and SAT results, to determine eligibility.”
David Mack, a top official at the Florida Education Department, tweeted this year, “CLT not CRT!”
The approval of the CLT has been met with mixed reactions. Some people believe that the test is a good way to assess students’ knowledge of classical Western thought, while others believe that it is a way to promote a conservative agenda. The College Board, which offers the traditional SAT test for college admissions, has expressed concerns comparing the CLT to standard admissions.
After this afternoon’s announcement, Tate said on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Breaking: It’s official. The Board of Governors in Florida just approved CLT. This means adoption at the University of Florida and Florida State and the entire public university system.
“I am grateful beyond words to everyone who worked to make this happen over the past 8 years,” Tate added.
“The CLT places a strong emphasis on classical education, which includes a focus on reading, writing, and critical thinking skills,” Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said in a statement ahead of the board’s virtual meeting. “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,” he added.
The term “classical education” seems to suggest coverage of classics, such as an understanding of Aristotle, Plato, and other pagan philosophers, and the development and organization of modern liberal arts education.
Tate, however, has been very present in Christian media, including those that “champion the truth of orthodoxy amidst a proliferation of false religions,” and spoken at events that focus on the “restoration of classical Christian education for God’s people.” He, along with the left-leaning Cornel West, has also praised DeSantis objectives of changing the educational system in what they referred to as a “revolutionary” defense of the classics.
Taryn Boyes, a spokesperson for CLT, attempted to make clear that the test is not explicitly tied to religion. “This is not a Christian test, and we are not a Christian company,” Boyes said. “The CLT is a test for everyone from any educational background. We want people to know it is not a partisan exam. It is not a red-state exam.”
How the test might impact college applicants who may be Pagan is very unclear, however. There are alternatives to the CLT, and many Pagans are conservatives who might agree with some of the views held by other supporters of the CLT.
The CLT does, however, include occasional reference to topics that are more present in Christian education, such as the works of St. Thomas Aquinas or St. Teresa of Ávila’s The Way of Perfection. What the test might herald, then, is increasing traction to present conservative alternatives and possibly increasing Christian-centric approaches to college admissions.
“We are here to harken back to a tradition of education that is long-standing, that has crossed the aisle for hundreds of years,” Boyes said. “Our founding fathers in both political parties were educated in this kind of tradition of the liberal arts.”
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