This project team will develop a way to measure critical thinking skills. To do so, they will analyze student performance on state English language arts test questions that capture critical thinking skills. Using statewide data, the researchers will then examine whether these critical thinking skills can predict students’ postsecondary attendance, persistence, graduation from institutions shown to increase economic mobility, and likelihood of voting.

Data Sources 

• Data: Test item-level responses over two decades on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) ELA test, two separate anonymized datasets for school characteristics, and student performance on ELA test questions
• Mobility Outcomes: School-level educational attainment (school-level 9th grade cohort graduation within four years and post-secondary enrollment within 16 months of graduation)