Collegiate Learning Assessment

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) is a test developed by the Council for Aid to
Education. It is intended to assess students’ learning over the entire college experience by
measuring holistically critical thinking, communication, and problem solving skills. The
institution is the primary level of analysis so that gains in performance between entering and
graduating students, after controlling for entering academic ability, reflect the institution’s
contribution or value added, to the development of the critical thinking, communication, and
problem solving competencies. A minimum sample of 100 students is recommended. CLA
uses the same scale as the SAT; however, CLA does not have an upper limit.
http://www.collegiatelearningassessment.org/

The CLA was administered to approximately 200 freshmen and 200 seniors who responded
to an invitation sent to a stratified random sample of students. The findings presented are
similar to previous administrations of the test given to samples of freshmen in autumn 2005
and seniors in spring 2006, and to freshmen from the autumn 2005 sample tracked
longitudinally and re-tested as seniors spring 2009.

Students’ average scores on the performance and analytic writing components of the CLA,
and students’ overall average total scores on the test, are shown in the table below.

Average SAT scores
for tested students
Performance
Task Score
Analytic Writing
Task Score
Total
Score
Freshman
1247
1174
1242
1209
Senior
1259
1272
1358
1316
The institution’s curricular goals, which students should achieve as a result of their
educational experience, include the following:
o Acquire comprehend, and evaluate information and arguments
o Analyze, integrate, and apply knowledge
o Communicate clearly, precisely, and effectively

The CLA aligns with these goals and is a direct assessment of them. The evidence indicates:
o Students’ overall performance placed them at the > 90th percentile of all students
o Senior scores and percentile levels were higher than freshman
o The institution’s value added was “as expected” based on students’ entering academic
ability
Sample Performance Task
You are the assistant to Pat Williams, the president of DynaTech, a company that makes precision electronic
instruments and navigational equipment. Sally Evans, a member of DynaTech's sales force, recommended that
DynaTech buy a small private plane (a SwiftAir 235) that she and other members of the sales force could use to visit
customers. Pat was about to approve the purchase when there was an accident involving a SwiftAir 235. You are
provided with the following documentation:
1: Newspaper articles about the accident
2: Federal Accident Report on in-flight breakups in single engine planes
3: Pat's e-mail to you & Sally's e-mail to Pat
4: Charts on SwiftAir's performance characteristics
5: Amateur Pilot article comparing SwiftAir 235 to similar planes
6: Pictures and description of SwiftAir Models 180 and 235
Please prepare a memo that addresses several questions, including what data support or refute the claim that the
type of wing on the SwiftAir 235 leads to more in-flight breakups, what other factors might have contributed to the
accident and should be taken into account, and your overall recommendation about whether or not DynaTech should
purchase the plane.
Sample Writing Prompts
The Make-an-Argument prompt presents an opinion on an issue and asks the students to address the issue from any
perspective they wish, so long as they provide relevant reasons and examples to explain and support their views on
topics such as: Government funding would be better spent on preventing crime than in dealing with criminals after the
fact.
The Critique-an-Argument prompt requires students to critique an argument by discussing how well reasoned they
find it; they must do so by considering the soundness of the argument's logic (rather than agree or disagree with the
position presented). An example prompt is: The number of marriages that end in separation or divorce is growing
steadily. A disproportional number of them are from June weddings. Because June weddings are so culturally
desirable, they are often preceded by long engagements as the couples wait until the summer months. The number
of divorces increases with each passing year, and the latest statistics indicate that more than 1 out of 3 marriages will
end in divorce. With the deck stacked against “forever more” it is best to take every step possible from joining the
pool of divorcees. Therefore, it is sage advice to young couples to shorten their engagements and choose a month
other than June for a wedding.
http://www.cae.org/content/pro_collegiate_sample_measures.htm
CLA+ (http://www.collegiatelearningassessment.org/files/caepulse21.pdf)
The CLA was revised Autumn 2013. The new instrument (CLA+) will employ both its signature
performance test and new response-select questions to scenarios. The new test is designed to
also assess quantitative and scientific reasoning skills, and will provide student-level as well as
institutional-level data.
OSU plans to administer the CLA+ to samples of Student Life (SL) student employees and track
their expected learning gains as follows:



Conduct a pilot project using the Beta test with a small sample of seniors Spring 2013
Administer the revised test to a larger sample of entering freshmen who will be tested again
as rising juniors, and a third time as seniors (longitudinal plan contingent on pilot outcomes).
The sample will be selected to be representative of the student population at large other than
employment status, although an increasing number of students work part-time.
Senior
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
PILOT
SP 2013
LONGITUDINAL
Freshman
Sophomore
Senior
CLA Beta Test
n=125
CLA Revised Test
AU13
SP15
SP17
n=500
n= 450
n= 400
The institution can add up to 9 additional multiple choice questions.