Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+)
Spring 2014 (Seniors Only)
The CLA+ was developed by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE) with various sponsorships (e.g., Lumina, Teagle Foundations). It incorporates an authentic performance task which is both hand and computer scored to assess analysis and problem solving, writing effectiveness, and writing mechanics, as well as innovative questions to assess scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical reading and evaluation, and critique-an-argument skills. The overall score can be used to indicate how students perform relative to a national sample (percentile), as well as mastery level (criterion-based scoring).
The Ohio State University (OSU) selected the CLA+ based on prior experience using the CLA, and because the instrument is designed to assess skills which align with key institutional curricular goals such as analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and communication. The revised CLA+ adds new assessments of scientific and quantitative reasoning, and critical reading and evaluation, and offers both institutional and student-level information. It is used in the Ohio State University College Portrait, required as part of OSU’s participation in the Voluntary System of Accountability. Findings are shared with institutional leadership, and with relevant faculty curricular committees in concert with other assessment findings to inform curricular and pedagogical changes as appropriate. Overall the score provides a broad gauge as to whether soon to be graduates are performing in a satisfactory and proficient manner on key institutional learning goals, as well as how OSU students perform relative to others who take the test nationally (percentiles).
For the Spring 2014 CLA+ administration, an invitation to participate was sent from the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education to a stratified random sample of 3,000 Rank Four (i.e., senior) students matched to population characteristics of gender, ethnicity, academic college, and Pell grant recipients for Columbus campus, non-transfer students. The first 125 students who scheduled and participated in the testing at monitored computer testing facilities on campus, and who completed both parts of the 90-minute assessment, were used in the final sample. Approximately 20 students could not complete both sections of the test due to technical issues and were not included in the final sample of 105. [A minimum sample size of n=100 was deemed appropriate by the test’s publisher, the Council for Aid to Education (CAE)].
Findings, shown on the following page, show soon-to-be OSU graduates perform at better than 95% of students who took the test nationally. Sub-scores further indicate areas in which students perform differentially on various subcomponents of the test. Finally, student responses regarding their motivation indicate they took the test seriously.
CLA+ Mastery Standards – Four level: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced
“PROFICIENT:
Students at the proficient level should be able to extract the major relevant pieces of evidence provided in the documents and provide a cohesive argument and analysis of the task. Proficient students should be able to distinguish the quality of the evidence in these documents and express the appropriate level of conviction in their conclusion given the provided evidence. Additionally, students should be able to suggest additional research and/or consider the counterarguments. Minor errors in writing need to be defined rigorously.
Proficient students have the ability to correctly identify logical fallacies, accurately interpret quantitative evidence, and distinguish the validity of evidence and its purpose. They should have the ability to determine the truth and validity of an argument. Finally, students should be able to know when a graph or table is applicable to an argument.”
CLA+ Findings – Spring 2014 – Senior Rank
Score Percentile Rank Mastery Level
Total CLA+ Score 1249 96 Proficient
Performance Task 1230 95*
Selected-Response Questions 1268 96*
*Reported on College Portrait
Subscores
Performance Task (Range 1-6)
Analysis and Problem Solving Writing Effectiveness Writing Mechanics
Selected-Response Questions (Range 200-800) Mean 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Scientific & Quantitative Reasoning 609 535 668
Critical Reading & Evaluation 585 558 619
Critique an argument 597 528 668
Student Effort and Engagements Survey Responses
Effort: Percentage of students who responded about the amount effort they put into the tasks
(top three options on a 5-point ordinal scale)
A moderate amount A lot of effort My best effort
Performance Task 24% 49% 27%
Selected-Response Questions 30% 49% 20%
Engagement: Percentage of students who responded how engaging they found the tasks (top three options on a 5-point ordinal scale)
Moderating engaging Very engaging Extremely engaging
Performance Task 49% 34% 5%
Selected-Response Questions 45% 27% 2%