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Why the Classic Learning Test, which embraces Aristotle but spurns calculators, has caught Indiana鈥檚 eye

A test that relies on classic Western texts and bans calculators for math will soon play a role in assessing how well Indiana students and schools are doing.

Since February, Indiana has expanded the use of the Classic Learning Test in two key ways. First, a new law requires state colleges and universities to consider CLT scores to the same extent that they would consider SAT or ACT scores for admission.

Second, under a new state accountability model that gives schools an A-F grade based on points students earn for proficiency, the Classic Learning Test is one way high school students can earn bonus points for their schools鈥� grades. The Indiana State Board of Education approved the use of the test at the last minute when adopting the new A-F model in March. It was not part of previous drafts of the model.

The Classic Learning Test鈥檚 expansion is part of a in Indiana and by conservatives to counter what they see as an education system that leans too progressive by providing alternatives they believe are more rigorous and in line with Western tradition.

The elevation of the CLT follows state leaders鈥� decision in 2024 to in Indiana higher education, a move seen by many as a boon to conservatives on campuses, as well as previous years鈥� efforts to that could make students feel guilt or . This year, lawmakers also required higher education leaders to explore 鈥� in line with .

Supporters of the CLT say they like the test because it assesses students鈥� reading skills with texts that are foundational to the country鈥檚 history. That also aligns with a to foster 鈥渁 shared understanding of America鈥檚 founding principles鈥� on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

But there鈥檚 also practical reason to welcome the CLT, supporters say: It shakes up a long-standing testing establishment that gave students just two options for college readiness testing 鈥� the SAT or the ACT. That reflects the school choice environment that includes a growing number of classical schools.

鈥淭he CLT is the first newcomer since Eisenhower was president,鈥� said Michael Torres, director of legislative strategy for the CLT. 鈥淲e offer an opportunity for our students to prove they鈥檙e ready for college based on the curriculum they use.鈥�

But critics counter that there is not enough evidence to say a CLT score is on par with a score on the SAT or the ACT 鈥� especially when the scores are used for high-stakes decisions about school accountability and college admissions.

鈥淚t especially matters to make sure that kind of mathematical relationship between the scores is stable and well-founded when there are any consequences in how these tests are used,鈥� said Priscilla Rodriguez, senior vice president for College Readiness Assessments at the College Board, which administers the SAT.

Indiana could eventually decide to let students using vouchers to attend private schools take the CLT instead of the ILEARN state exam that voucher students must now take. A private school leader raised that idea during the legislative session, and CLT officials would support it, Torres said.

But that could make it harder to compare how private school students are performing compared with their peers in public schools. Indiana officials have not discussed this idea publicly.

As Indiana expands the use of the CLT, the state should want to ensure the test it鈥檚 well-suited to its academic content standards, measures for school quality, and its goals for students, said Chris Domaleski, executive director of the Center for Assessment. The state advisory committee that focuses on required assessments did not weigh in on including the CLT for school accountability because it鈥檚 an optional test, Indiana Department of Education officials said.

鈥淭he more it鈥檚 used, the more we need to seek evidence that it鈥檚 useful, that it has reliability, validity, and fairness, for all student groups, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners,鈥� Domaleski said. 鈥淎ll those kinds of questions we鈥檇 ask for any assessment used in a consequential way.鈥�

How do Classic Learning Test scores stack up?

The CLT for juniors and seniors is a two-hour, 120-question test developed in 2015 by founder Jeremy Tate, who 鈥渟aw there might be interest in a third option that proved students are ready to go to college but didn鈥檛 force schools to embrace the Common Core,鈥� Torres said, referring to the state standards that some conservatives came to distrust. Classic Learning Initiatives, the company behind the test, also offers a CLT for grades 3-8 and a 10th grade test.

The CLT uses passages by a bank of Western writers from the ancient to the late modern times 鈥� the most recent listed is author Toni Morrison 鈥� as well as contemporary nonfiction texts.

Sample questions on 鈥淭he Epic of Gilgamesh,鈥� for example, ask students to determine based on the passage the reason that caused the gods to flood the land, and determine which lines in the poem support the argument.

Critics say this focus promotes of culture and society 鈥� and that the test offers an advantage to students familiar with the pieces. Still, classical schools and educators say these works are fundamental to all students鈥� understanding of history.

鈥淲hen we talk about college readiness, what are we talking about? Is it the use of AI? Is it being able to critically think, look at passages, look at historical text?鈥� said Kylene Varner of the Indiana Association of Home Educators, who supported the bill to require colleges to consider CLT results like SAT and ACT results. 鈥淚f we can鈥檛 understand the culture and history … and the writing of our Constitution, how do we learn?鈥�

There are also differences on the math portion of the test, where the CLT does not allow calculators; Torres said that means students must show they are 鈥渋ndependently numerate.鈥�

And around 15% to 20% of test-takers utilize a remote option not available on the SAT or ACT, Torres said. This option is important to home-schoolers who may not have access to other tests, Varner said.

But what makes the CLT stand out has in turn raised questions about whether comparing scores from the test to results from other exams can be misleading.

The CLT has published between CLT scores and SAT and ACT scores. Torres said the study behind that table relied on a sample of about 4,500 students and produced reliable results. He noted that in addition to self-reported scores, the company received some scores from the colleges that accept CLT, SAT, and ACT scores.

But representatives from the ACT and SAT . To establish that one score on the SAT reliably correlated to a score on the ACT, the College Board and the ACT jointly examined the scores of more than 500,000 students who had taken both exams, said Colin Dingler, ACT鈥檚 chief policy analyst.

In addition to a smaller, less-representative sample size, there are two other key issues with CLT鈥檚 score comparison, Rodriguez said: The students鈥� SAT scores were self-reported, and that sometimes years had passed between the two tests.

Ultimately, it would be unfair if two tests had different passing scores, and one was easier to pass than the other, but some students only had access to the harder test, Dingler said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important from an equity standpoint to have some scientifically established tool to go from the scores of one assessment to another assessment,鈥� he said.

How the CLT factors into school quality, college readiness

One of the primary uses of test scores is to indicate that a student is ready for college.

A handful of private colleges in Indiana 鈥� along with around 300 nationwide 鈥� already accept the CLT scores, and the .

But few K-12 schools offer the test right now, state education officials said, and most public universities in Indiana don鈥檛 require any test scores for admission, although Purdue University is a notable exception.

Supporters of the CLT, including leaders of private classical K-12 schools in Indiana who testified in support of it earlier this year, said the test is for measuring students鈥� college readiness 鈥� or .

Not everyone agrees. Iowa in 2024 recommended against the use of the CLT for admission to its public universities, about the academic performance of the students who took it.

A key question for assessing college readiness is whether a test based on a prescribed curriculum is gauging students鈥� knowledge of that curriculum, rather than their general readiness for college-level classes. Even in subjects like science, the ACT is written so that students without a familiarity with a specific scientific concept can figure out the question, Dingler said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that philosophically, there鈥檚 something wrong with assessments that are anchored in content or a specific reading list,鈥� Dingler said. 鈥淏ut I do think that using the results of that test to generalize that any student is ready to succeed or to do well 鈥� that鈥檚 a really different matter.鈥�

Torres said that while classical schools have embraced the test, familiarity with the texts is not a prerequisite for success on the CLT.

鈥淚t merely uses those texts to test reading comprehension and grammar,鈥� Torres said. 鈥淲e find that to be a rigorous measure of college readiness.鈥�

Test scores also play a role in assessing Indiana school quality.

Students鈥� SAT proficiency will make up 10% of a high school鈥檚 letter grade on the state鈥檚 new A-F accountability model. But the state鈥檚 decision to let schools earn accountability bonus points through student scores on the ACT or CLT might lead schools to push students to take the CLT, 鈥渨here it may be easy to get a score that looks high compared to the ACT or the SAT but maybe actually isn鈥檛,鈥� Rodriguez said.

In a statement, the state education department said the school accountability system approach to the CLT balances 鈥減ersonalized pathways鈥� with elevating 鈥渞eal opportunities for students.鈥�

The test鈥檚 supporters like that flexible approach, which could play a role if Indiana considers letting students using private school vouchers take the CLT instead of the state鈥檚 standardized test.

鈥淎llowing schools to use nationally normed assessments like the CLT that are also rigorous 鈥� objective, and publicly reportable, this respects both accountability and also educational diversity,鈥� said Rachel Oren, head of school at the Classic Academy in Indianapolis.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .

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