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Lawmakers split as committee considers adding Classical Learning Test and a 'success sequence' curriculum
Summary
Senate Bill 88 would add the Classical Learning Test (CLT) as an accepted entrance exam for state colleges and insert a brief 'success sequence' line into citizenship instruction. Proponents framed CLT as a new, classical‑aligned option that improves access for homeschools; opponents (ACT, College Board, public school groups) warned the CLT lacks independent, peer‑reviewed validation and raised security and comparability concerns.
The House Committee on Education heard hours of testimony on Senate Bill 88, which would require Indiana public colleges and universities that accept the SAT or ACT to accept the Classical Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative and add a short statement about the "success sequence" to citizenship instruction.
Senator Byrne, the bill’s sponsor (speaker 11), said SB 88 "gives students more opportunity, recognizing academic rigor" and that the CLT is designed for curricula emphasizing classical texts. He argued the CLT offers longer reading passages and a different approach to assessing reasoning and writing.
Major national testing organizations and public education advocates urged caution. Jonathan Lackland, director of state government relations at ACT (speaker 25), urged the committee to require independent validation before giving the CLT the same statutory status as the ACT and SAT, saying “high stakes tests must be based on scientific principles of measurement.” He…
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