Read more at National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/11/12/standardized-tests-higher-education-reform/
Two entrepreneurs have taken on the college-entrance-exam duopoly, and it is starting to gain national attention. Classical Christian schools stand to benefit from these trends, as many of our schools have been encouraging students to take the CLT.
“The CLT takes a different approach. Rather than giving up on tests, it seeks to make a better one. The sample version on its website features passages from Aristotle, Benjamin Franklin, Adam Smith, Pope John Paul II, and even Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Obama administration. Students read these for comprehension and grammar. There’s also a math section. “We believe that a certain body of knowledge should be a component of education,” says Thomas Mach, vice president for academics at Cedarville University, a Christian school in Ohio that adopted the CLT earlier this year. “Many of our students come from families that believe this, and the CLT evaluates what they know.”
Students who take the CLT have two hours to answer 120 questions. They earn a point for every correct answer and receive their results the same day. CLT’s website claims that a score of 114 is comparable to a perfect score on the ACT or SAT. A handful of students earn perfect scores on those tests every year, but so far nobody has done the same on the CLT. The top score, says Tate, is 118. “Our test is tough, which makes it easier for schools to distinguish between the best candidates.”
Many colleges friendly to classical Christian education have already adopted the test. Surely this will prove to be a tide that lifts all boats!
