Build the Higher-Order Skills That Drive Workforce Success
Help students develop the skills employers value most—critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication—so they graduate confident, adaptable, and career-ready.
Critical Thinking Skills Program for Higher Education
Technology, from AI to automation, is creating seismic shifts in the way we learn, communicate, work, and interact. Your institution is uniquely positioned to not only prepare students with industry-specific knowledge and technical skills, but also teach the higher-order skills that will help students keep up with the pace of change, thrive in an evolving workplace, and be well-informed, engaged citizens.
CAE’S Critical Thinking Skills Program provides the faculty training, materials, and support to seamlessly integrate critical thinking instruction into every course of study and measure students’ proficiency with the skills employers want most.
By explicitly teaching higher-order skills, your institution can give students a competitive advantage that pays off at hiring, throughout their careers, and in their daily lives.
CASE STUDY
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School Works to Develop Students’ Higher-Order Skills with Support from CAE
Recognizing that the needs of employers have changed, Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School (MBS) partnered with CAE to integrate CAE’s Critical Thinking Skills Program into its curriculum. Over the past five years, this initiative has trained thousands of MBS students in the workforce skills that 95% of them believe are vital to their future success and that employers say matter most—critical thinking (79%), problem solving (74%), and written communication (77%) (Finley, 2023).
A Complete Solution to Develop and Measure Students’ Future-Ready Skills
CAE’s Critical Thinking Skills Program includes:
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Professional development and ongoing coaching that equip educators to teach higher-order skills with confidence across subject areas
CRITICAL THINKING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Engaging critical thinking instructional materials and practice performance tasks that strengthen higher-order skills
PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENTS
Performance-based assessments that measure higher-order skills, guide instruction with actionable data, and help students showcase their critical thinking proficiency
Actionable Insights for Every Stakeholder
STUDENTS & FAMILIES
Students will gain insight into the skills most in demand by employers and that will help them apply what they’re learning in their courses.
Their personalized assessment results report will outline:
The characteristics of strong critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication so they can work with their teachers to develop a plan to build those specific skills
How they’re developing in all three essential skill areas as well as six subsets of those skills
How their skills compare to their school’s average as well peers across the country so they can set goals for growth
FACULTY
CLA+ provides faculty with critical insights to help improve their students’ skills and prepare them for success in the workplace.
Faculty can use the data provided by student and
institution reports to:
Provide instruction to build critical thinking, problem- solving, and written communication skills
Provide additional supports to students who have greater opportunities for growth
Advise and provide guidance on attaining career goals
ADMINISTRATION
Administrators receive reports that include an institutional analysis of student growth and how their students compare to national averages.
These data are useful to:
Develop curricula and programs that supports skill building
Elevate your institutions profile with prospective
students and families
Demonstrate student outcomes and success to
hiring organizations