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Ohio Republicans say bill will require public colleges that accept ACT or SAT to also accept Classical Learning Test
Summary
State Reps. Kevin Ritter and Jonathan Newman promoted House Bill 326 as a way to expand college-admission options for homeschool and private-school students by requiring public institutions that accept ACT or SAT to accept the Classical Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative; the bill has passed the House and is headed to the Senate.
House Bill 326 would require public colleges and universities that accept the ACT or SAT to also accept the Classical Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative for admissions, sponsors said on the Message from the House podcast.
"Basically, what the bill says, Olivia, is if you're a public institution and you accept ACT or SAT, you also have to accept CLT," said Rep. Kevin Ritter, a joint sponsor. He and Rep. Jonathan Newman argued the measure broadens options for families — including homeschoolers and private-school students — who prefer the CLT's approach.
Supporters told the host they believe the provision could help recruit out-of-state students who take the CLT, bringing more applicants to Ohio campuses. Ritter said the CLT is widely used by homeschool and private-school communities and that in other states large numbers of students take the exam; he also told the host that more than 20% of CLT takers last year were African-American, a statistic sponsors cited to emphasize the test's reach among diverse groups.
"There are many ways to educate a child," Rep. Newman said. "This bill gives parents options and encourages options." Newman, who described extensive engagement with homeschool families in his Miami County district, framed the bill as protecting parental choice and promoting what he called a classical model of education focused on the Western canon and virtues.
The sponsors addressed questions about whether adding the CLT would lower admissions standards. Ritter said supporters do not see the CLT as a lowering of standards and noted the bill does not compel colleges to rely solely on the CLT; it only requires that institutions permit the CLT as an accepted test option where ACT or SAT are already accepted.
The representatives described HB 326 as already passed by the Ohio House and moving to the Senate for consideration. Supporters said they hope accepting the CLT will both expand pathways for students and encourage competition that could spur improvements in public schools.
What remains unclear from the discussion is the extent to which individual Ohio public institutions would change admissions practices if the law passes and how admissions officers would compare CLT results to ACT/SAT scores. Supporters’ quantitative claims about CLT test‑taker counts and demographic breakdowns were presented as sponsor-supplied figures and were not independently verified during the segment.
The next procedural step for HB 326 is Senate consideration.
