Amends TCA Title 49.

Under present law, "academic requirement" means the requirement of a specified GPA, ACT or SAT score, or cumulative GPA that determines either initial or continuing eligibility for postsecondary financial assistance from net lottery proceeds. This bill revises this definition by removing "cumulative GPA" from the list and adding CLT score to the list. As used in this bill, "CLT" means the Classical Learning Test administered by Classical Learning Initiatives, LLC. ELIGIBILITY FOR HOPE SCHOLARSHIP To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman, present law requires a student who graduated from an eligible high school after December 1, 2003, upon having completed curriculum requirements of the high school for graduation, to, among other things, achieve a final overall high school GPA of at least 3.0; or attain a composite ACT score of at least 21 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date. This bill adds to the list of test scores a concordant equivalent score on the CLT on any single CLT test date. To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman, present law requires a student who completes high school in a Tennessee home school program, who graduates from a high school located in Tennessee that is not an eligible high school, or who obtains a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education, to attain a composite ACT score of at least 21 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date. This bill adds to the list of test score options a concordant equivalent score on the CLT on any single CLT test date. MERIT SCHOLARSHIP To be eligible for a general assembly merit scholarship as an entering freshman, present law requires a student to attain a composite ACT score of at least 29 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date. This bill adds to the list of test score options a concordant equivalent score on the CLT on any single CLT test date. HOPE ACCESS GRANT To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE access grant, present law requires an entering freshman student to, among other things, attain a composite ACT score of at least 18 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date. This bill adds to the list of test score options a concordant equivalent score on the CLT on any single CLT test date. LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP DAY Present law authorizes TSAC to conduct a lottery scholarship day each school year to inform high school students and their parents about financial assistance available from net lottery proceeds for attendance at eligible postsecondary institutions. TSAC, with assistance from the department of education, must develop and provide grade-appropriate information regarding testing dates for the ACT and SAT, and the differences between these tests, and the use of the tests in admission decisions by eligible postsecondary institutions. Further, schools must include information in school handbooks together with community-specific information concerning tutoring and test-taking development in subjects covered by the ACT and SAT examinations, college preparatory and advanced placement courses provided by high schools in the LEA and the importance of early planning for college. Moreover, on lottery scholarship day, each school must provide community-specific information to students and their parents regarding opportunities for tutoring and test-taking skills development in subjects covered by the ACT and SAT examinations, after-school educational enrichment programs, the academic value of enrollment and success in college preparatory and advanced placement courses in high school and the importance of early providence and planning for future college participation. This bill places the same requirements listed in these provisions regarding ACT and SAT examinations to CLT examinations. HOPE SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY FOR RESIDENTS FROM CONTIGUOUS STATES Present law provides that a student who graduates from a high school located in a neighboring state in a county contiguous to this state is eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman if the student, among other things, attains a composite ACT score of at least 21 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date. This bill adds to the list of test score options a concordant equivalent score on the CLT on any single CLT test date. EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION Present law requires a student to meet certain requirements as set forth by the state board of education to receive a full diploma upon graduation from high school. As a strategy for assessing student readiness for postsecondary education, every public-school student must take an examination at grade 11. This bill adds that CLT examination may be administered to students in grade 11 to assess student readiness for postsecondary education for purposes of meeting this graduation requirement. Further, a public-school student who is administered the CLT examination has satisfied the examination requirement for graduation. ACCEPTING CLASSICAL LEARNING TESTS FOR ADMISSION This bill requires each public institution of higher education to accept a student's score on the CLT examination for purposes of admission to the institution. When assessing student applications for admission, each institution must weigh scores achieved on the CLT examination in the same manner as the institution weighs scores achieved on the ACT or SAT. RULEMAKING This bill authorizes the state board of education and the Tennessee higher education commission to promulgate rules to effectuate this bill, including rules to establish scores on the CLT examination that are the concordant equivalent to scores achieved by students on the ACT or SAT.