Lawmakers back conservative-favored college entrance exam
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You've heard of the ACT and the SAT. Probably even taken one of them. But what about the CLT?
Why it matters: The Classic Learning Test, positioned as an alternative college entrance exam, is gaining popularity in conservative states and one state lawmaker wants Indiana to follow suit.
Driving the news: Senate Bill 88 would require Hoosier public colleges and universities to accept the exam to the same extent as the ACT and SAT.
- The bill's author, Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) said he wants to give students more choices, particularly homeschool students, who favor the exam, which can be taken remotely.
- The CLT, created about a decade ago, says it's aligned to "traditional classic methods of education."
The big picture: Florida was the first state in the nation to accept the CLT on a wide scale when it approved the exam for admissions at its state university system in 2023.
- Previously, several hundred mostly small private or faith-based institutions had been accepting the test.
Friction point: Sponsors of the ACT and SAT testified against the bill.
- It's not competition they have a problem with, their representatives said. It's that the tests haven't been proved to be rigorous, transparent, reliable or valid for predicting college success.
- At least one lawmaker questioned why the state was prescribing which entrance exams Indiana's college and universities should accept when they already have the option.
- "Why is the Indiana General Assembly involved in this conversation at all?" Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) asked.
The other side: Conservative groups and states have supported the exam as a move away from what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the "woke indoctrination" of modern public education.
- Several homeschool families and the conservative organization Heritage Action testified in support of the measure.
Between the lines: SB 88 also includes a measure that would require public schools to teach the "Success Sequence," another idea popular in conservative circles.
- It teaches that the way to succeed in life is to get at least a high school education, work full time and marry before having kids.
What's next: SB 88 is expected to be voted on next week in the House Education Committee.