In order to enroll a strong class of academically able and motivated students, elite college prep and magnet schools need fair, objective admissions information about each applicant.  Students in magnet or STEM high schools should be prepared to think deeply and to think well if they are to succeed in rigorous coursework.  A strong commitment to engage in learning independently and in teams is essential. Assessing critical thinking skills provides important metrics to verify students meet thinking standards and have the skills to succeed in coursework.

Insight Assessment validated test instruments are frequently used for matching vital learning attributes and critical thinking skills to programmatic demands: 

• Selective college prep schools frequently use our assessments to supplement admissions processes by gathering objective evidence of key predictors of student success such as critical thinking skills, mathematical reasoning and learning orientation.
• Other high performance schools assess each entering student, identifying current strengths and scheduling individualized instruction to develop skills that are still emerging.
• STEM programs often use the instruments to evaluate the efficacy of their curricular innovations, and to measure students’ numeracy skills.
• Public, private and international K-12 schools use translations of our assessments because they value the flexibility of assessing the thinking skills and learning orientation of multilingual students while minimizing the English as a Second Language (ESL) impact.
• Magnet high schools also use critical thinking data for accreditation and school improvement processes.
• In all cases, the highly visual and easy to understand group reports are convenient aids when discussing particular programs with parents and school site advisory councils; students’ individual reports support course selection and placement.

Insight Assessment K-12 and college level tools are standardized, objective measures of critical thinking skills and mindset attributes that use scenarios that are familiar and age-appropriate.  Our assessment professionals will identify attribute and skills testing instruments that match the school’s applicant group and an administration strategy that will integrate perfectly with the admissions timeline.

• Calibrated for college prep and college students: California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) is used globally to assess thinking skills and numeracy. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) measures the disposition to engage problems and make decisions using critical thinking.  The STEM Thinking Skills Test measures quantitative reasoning skills at the college level. The Quant Q measures proficiency in quantitative reasoning skills.

• Calibrated for high school students: EDUCATE INSIGHT Reasoning Skills 9-12 assesses critical thinking and numeracy skills; EDUCATE INSIGHT Thinking Mindset 6-12  measures the degree to which students are cognitively engaged and mentally motivated toward intellectual activities that involve reasoning. These assessments are part of the EDUCATE INSIGHT critical thinking assessment program for K-12 students.

There is no specific test prep needed before taking a critical thinking skills assessment beyond general education focused on the development of critical thinking skills.  A good critical thinking test is not going to be a test of factual knowledge about critical thinking. Memorizing information and definitions is not the key. A good reasoning test will engage you in using your thinking skills and mindset because critical thinking is a process.

Critical Thinking: a High School Learning Outcome

Contact Insight Assessment today through our website or by phone. We will be happy to provide you with a free price quote for a pilot project at your school.