title: Assessing school effectiveness.
abstract: The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) program measures value added in colleges and universities, by testing the ability of freshmen and seniors to think logically and write clearly. The program is popular enough that it has attracted critics. In this paper, we outline the methods used by the CLA to determine value added. We summarize the criticisms, which revolve around the question of which students take the CLA tests. Typically, samples are not random, so that selection bias is a concern, as is confounding. We respond by showing that criticisms of CLA procedures are not supported by the data.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shavelson
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bolus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D044469:Racial Groups; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012106:Research; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D013663:Teaching; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult