Classical Learning Test
by Kace Browning
Upper School (7-12th Grade) Administrator
Our eighth and ninth graders scored almost 10 points higher than the national average on the Classical Learning Test (CLT). This was the first year L.E.A.D. students participated in the college entrance exam and only the 8th and 9th graders participated.
This is a positive product report for L.E.A.D. Academy, our students, and the process of classically educating them. It is working! We were also excited that 77 percent of L.E.A.D. students scored above the 50th percentile. This means it wasn’t just a few students whose high scores boosted our overall rate, but exceptional performance by a majority of students.
The CLT is a college entrance exam and provides a test experience similar to the ACT or SAT. In fact CLT scores are accepted by all Florida colleges and universities. High school students can even use these scores to earn Bright Futures scholarships, satisfy graduation requirements, and earn dual credit.
CLT exams evaluate reading, grammar, writing, and mathematics and provide a comprehensive measure of scholastic achievement and aptitude. We chose to start offering this test because it not only measures some of the basic academic skills other college entrance exams do, it also emphasizes foundational critical thinking skills and reflects the holistic education provided in classical education. We plan to continue to offer the CLT to students each year. Junior and senior scores can be sent to an unlimited number of colleges and more than 200 colleges provide scholarships tied directly to the student’s CLT score.
While we are using the ACT to test sophomores, juniors and seniors, we are looking to transition to using the CLT because of its overall emphasis on classical learning, logic and critical thinking skills. We think this will better assess our students for the very outcomes our classical instruction is designed to teach.
Congratulations to our students and faculty! We are so proud of this achievement and we look forward to continued growth and outstanding results. To our parents, we hope you are encouraged and know you are raising some super smart kids!