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Collegiate Learning Assessment Developed by the Council for Aid to Education with the RAND
Corporation, CLA is a new approach to measuring student learning. A representative sample of
students is used for the assessment process – 100 freshmen in the fall
term and 100 seniors in the spring term. Results are aggregated to focus on how an institution as a whole has
contributed toward student learning. By
comparing students’ abilities when they first come to college with student
ability after four years, the CLA measures value added. The skills assessed are critical thinking,
analytical reasoning, written communication and problem solving. During testing, students are required to use
these skills together to respond to performance tasks. The enhancement of these abilities should be
the result of the entire college experience, and not just a few required
courses.
Earlham chose to participate in this assessment project in 2005-2006 as
part of a Teagle Foundation grant aimed at
strengthening teaching and learning.
There are no multiple-choice questions on the CLA; it requires the
completion of tasks using written responses to open-ended questions. The CLA
results are in terms of whether Earlham’s students are doing better, worse or
about the same as would be expected based on students’ entering skills as
demonstrated in SAT and ACT scores. Scores
of similar students at other colleges are also taken into consideration. Also, the performance of students at the
beginning and end of their college career is contrasted.
Based on the average SAT scores of the Earlham freshmen and seniors sampled, the freshmen-to-senior performance was considered ABOVE what would be expected at an institution with students of similar academic abilities. Mean scores for freshmen and seniors at Earlham and at all schools
Earlham results in more detail
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Earlham College · 801 National Road West · Richmond,
Indiana 47374-4095 |