In the early 2010s, former public school teacher Jeremy Tate began to question why American education had grown so bland and utilitarian. He came to the conclusion that high-stakes testing was partially to blame.
High-stakes testing drives K-12 curriculum. David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, has stated publicly that “teachers will teach towards the test. There is no force on this earth strong enough to prevent that.” Jeremy was inclined to agree with that; but if teaching to the test is an inescapable reality, then shouldn’t standardized tests engage students with some of the most important ideas, texts, and subjects our culture has to offer?
Unfortunately, mainstream standardized exams do not reflect a deep and holistic education. More than that, they are increasingly antithetical to the classical, Christian tradition. The College Board and ACT duopoly are both aligned with Common Core standards of public school education; both use reading passages primarily written within the last ten years, and remove almost any vestige of the Christian intellectual tradition. They do not allow students who have read widely and pursued truth and reason to showcase their real strengths.
In 2015, Jeremy launched something that would change that: the Classic Learning Test (CLT).
CLT was birthed out of a desire to provide tests that are aligned to a different kind of education, one that emphasizes rather than avoids the connection between knowledge and virtue, and which can highlight the abilities of students who have received a classical, Christian education.
What started as a college entrance exam has since grown into a 3rd through 12th grade suite of assessments that evaluate reading comprehension, grammar, and mathematical and logical skills. CLT’s approach to standardized testing emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving over formulaic memorization, and engages students with meaningful ideas by featuring a rich selection of reading passages, drawn from primary sources from the ancients to present day. CLT aims to reflect that love for learning which a classical, Christian education cultivates.
Furthermore, CLT exams equip parents and teachers with tangible academic feedback through in-depth analytics reports, and help college-bound students connect with serious-minded institutions. Over 250 colleges partner with CLT, accepting the exam as an alternative to or complete replacement for the ACT and SAT. CLT Partner Colleges tend to be private, liberal arts, or faith-based colleges which place a high value on a classical, Christian education, and share CLT’s mission to reconnect knowledge and virtue in the classroom. Many of our partners offer scholarships for CLT students, totaling $100 million annually.
Classic Learning Test is proud to support Cedar Classical Academy in its mission to train the minds and improve the hearts of young people through a classical, content-rich education. By offering a better standard for standardized testing, CLT hopes it can be a catalyst for education renewal worldwide.
Adam R. Roate is Director of Christian School Partnerships at the Classic Learning Test.
