• The Florida Board of Education has adopted the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an additional assessment option for high school students to meet graduation requirements, making Florida the first state to formally adopt this exam.
• The CLT will serve as an alternative to the SAT and ACT and assesses English, grammar, and math skills with a scaled score range of 0 to 120.
• A satisfactory score requires a combined score of 38 in the Verbal Reasoning and Grammar & Writing sections and a separate score of 16 in the Quantitative Reasoning section.
• New College of Florida and the University of South Florida were the first public institutions to preemptively adopt the assessment earlier this year.

The Florida Board of Education (BoE) unanimously adopted a provision during its meeting on Wednesday to include the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an additional assessment option for high school students to satisfy graduation requirements.

With Florida becoming the first state to formally adopt the assessment, its administering will serve as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. The CLT, a college entrance exam assessing English, grammar, and math skills, features a scaled score range of 0 to 120. According to documents presented to the BoE, a satisfactory score necessitates a combined score of 38 in the Verbal Reasoning and Grammar & Writing sections, along with a separate Quantitative Reasoning section score of 16.

The BoE states that the CLT’s inclusion serves to expand access to postsecondary education by adding a new, more affordable option for students to demonstrate college readiness. Test scores will additionally factor into dual enrollment eligibility for secondary students, developmental education exemption for returning adult students, and general course placement.

“Beginning with this upcoming school year, in addition to passing statewide assessments, students will have an additional option through the CLT to meet assessment graduation requirements,” said Juan Copa, Deputy Commissioner, Accountability, Research, and Measurement at Florida Department of Education.

The BoE’s actions bring the state’s operational framework in line with measures passed by the Florida Legislature during the most recent Legislative Session. House Bill 1537’s passage authorizes school districts to use the bCLT for annual districtwide administration for certain students. The bill also allows students to earn a concordant score on the CLT, meeting the initial eligibility requirements for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

The measure was initially passed by the Florida House of Representatives on April 26 but was subsequently amended in the Florida Senate on May 2 before being returned to the House for further consideration. On May 3 the House adopted the Senate’s amendments and approved the bill with the included changes, which honed in on specifications within the legislation.

Several religiously-affiliated postsecondary institutions such as Ave Maria University and Palm Beach Atlantic University, have accepted the CLT as a college entrance exam for several years, though New College of Florida and the University of South Florida became the first public colleges to preemptively adopt the exam earlier this year.

“As New College strives to become a world-class liberal arts educational institution, adding the CLT as an accepted testing option for admissions will ensure we are reaching and welcoming students from all walks of life,” said New College interim president Richard Corcoran.