Prepare Students to Adapt & Thrive in an Evolving World
Build the skills employers value most and that will give your students a competitive edge throughout their careers—critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.
Empower Students to Think Critically, Solve Problems, and Keep Up with the Pace of Change
As technology reshapes how we live and work, students need more than technical knowledge—they need the human-centered skills that drive innovation and productivity in every industry.
By equipping students with these higher-order skills, your institution can boost retention, strengthen graduate outcomes, showcase its value, and build a strong reputation with employers, alumni, and prospective students.
CAE’s Critical Thinking Skills Program helps education institutions teach and measure these skills, preparing students for success in college, the workforce, and civic life.
Students who perform better on CAE’s assessment of workforce skills have:
Higher cumulative GPAs at the end of their senior year (Zahner et al. 2016).
Positive post-university outcomes as measured by employment, salary, and graduate school enrollment as well as employer ratings (Zahner, James, & Lehrfeld, 2022).
Whitepaper: Unlocking Student Potential in Higher Education
In today’s fast-changing world, employers are looking for more than just technical knowledge—they’re seeking individuals who can think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively.
CAE’s latest whitepaper outlines the strategic opportunity higher education institutions have to improve student outcomes, boost retention, and enhance institutional value by integrating these essential skills into the core of their academic experience.
A Comprehensive Approach to Teaching and Measuring Higher-Order Skills
CAE’s Critical Thinking Skills Program gives education institutions the tools needed to teach and measure the skills that set students apart and prepare them to be life-long learners—critical thinking, problem solving, and effective communication.
Our flexible, research-based solution includes:
- Professional development that equips faculty to effectively teach higher-order skills and integrate this teaching into their courses.
- Instructional materials that provide students with a framework for effective critical thinking along with opportunities to practice using critical thinking skills in real-world situations specific to their course of study.
- Performance-based assessments that measure proficiency, track growth, and showcase real-world readiness.
With CAE as your partner, your students will have both the knowledge and the skills they need to adapt, lead, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Proven to Build Students’ Critical Thinking Skills at All Levels of Higher Education
Undergraduate Capstone
4th-year students who had classroom instruction on critical thinking performed statistically significantly higher on the CLA+. (Zahner, Gammenthaler, Dawber, Cortellini, 2026)
MBA Program
Analyses of CLA+ scores for a cohort of higher education students, showed that by increasing the level of curricular instruction, students statistically significantly increase their CLA+ Total Score.
Proportionally more students were in the top two Mastery levels as their curricular instruction increased with fewer Below Proficiency. (Zahner, Dawber, Cortellini, 2023)
Partner Spotlight: Texas A&M Mays Business School
Learn how Texas A&M’s Mays Business School has responded to the needs of employers and a shifting economy by integrating critical thinking skills instruction into their curriculum.
The result? Thousands of MBS students are now trained in the workforce skills that 95% of students believe are vital to their future success and that employers say matter most—critical thinking (79%), problem solving (74%), and written communication (77%).
Research-Based. Results-Driven. Backed by Decades of Innovation.
Building on a foundation established as part of the RAND Corporation, CAE has led the way in assessment innovation for more than 20 years. Our research-based approach enables institutions to measure the higher-order skills most essential for academic achievement, workforce readiness, and civic engagement.
Over 20 Years’ Experience Evaluating and Improving Higher-Order Skills Internationally
“Employers consistently tell us they want graduates who can think, solve, and lead. We’ve expanded CAE’s Critical Thinking Skills Program to all graduate business students to ensure they develop those skills—and it shows when they enter the job market.”