Commonwealth Policy Center

Florida’s state universities have approved the Classic Learning Test, a standardized exam based on “classic literature and historical texts,” as an alternative to the ACT and SAT. Unlike typical college admissions exams, the CLT relies on an author bank that includes Jane Austen, Jonathan Edwards, and C.S. Lewis. This is the latest step in a revolution in Florida’s public education system. It’s banned sexually explicit content in Kindergarten through 3rd grade and requires a facts-based history curriculum in high school. It’s clear that public schools are a worldview battlefield for the hearts and minds of our children. Perhaps the upshot is that Florida is creating a template for excellence in education that other conservative states may follow.