Rio Salado College
Critical Thinking Outcomes Report 2011
Methodology
The Critical Thinking assessment was completed by 162 students in 2011. The Critical Thinking
Assessment is a college-wide assessment, students from both general education and traditionally
applied education programs were invited to participate in the assessment. Students were able to
complete the Critical Thinking assessment online.
The Critical Thinking Assessment consists of five skill sets: Analysis, Inference, Evaluation,
Deductive Reasoning, and Inductive Reasoning. The scores on each of these sections and the
total score are converted to a four-point scale to enable comparisons with other assessments.
Students were grouped into a variety of cohorts for analysis. Scores were analyzed based on the
ages of students and the number of hours earned while at Rio Salado College.
Data Analysis
Overall, students had a total score of 2.76, out of 4.00, on this assessment. Total scores ranged
from 0.00 to 4.00. More than two-fifths of the students (44.44%, N = 72) scored at or above
college level1 on the Critical Thinking assessment.
When comparing students by their earned hours cohort; students who had earned 45 or more
credit hours at Rio Salado College had the highest average total score (Avg = 2.97) on the
assessment. They also had the highest score on almost every section of the Critical Thinking
assessment, with the exception of the Evaluation section. Students who earned between 10 – 19
hours earned the highest score on the Evaluation Section. Students who earned between 30 – 44
hours had the lowest score on most sections with the exception of the Evaluation and Inductive
Reasoning sections.
When comparing students by their age cohort; students ages 31 – 40 had the highest average total
score (Avg = 2.94) on the assessment. They also had the highest score on many sections of the
Critical Thinking assessment, with the exception of the Analysis and Inductive Reasoning
section. Students who were between 25 – 30 years in age earned the highest score on the
Analysis section (Avg = 3.08) and the Inductive Reasoning section (Avg = 3.17). Students in the
19 – 24 age group had the lowest score on most sections with the exception of the Inference and
Inductive Reasoning sections. However, despite the difference in scores, scores on this
assessment were not correlated with the students’ age. Additionally, it is difficult to compare
scores across students’ age given the disparity in cohort size.
The Critical Thinking assessment is a normed test that that allows for comparisons with national
group of students. Overall, Rio Salado College students scored higher than three-fifths of the
comparison group of students. As a whole, Rio students were in the 62nd percentile, answering an
average of 24 of the 35 questions correctly. Rio students scored in the 68th percentile on the
1
College level performance is equivalent to a score of 70.00% or higher.
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Inductive Reasoning and Deductive Reasoning sections. Rio students scored in the 97th
percentile on the Evaluation section.
In general, scores are higher on the Critical Thinking assessment than in the previous two
assessment years. The average total score decreased from 2007 (Avg = 2.60) to 2009 (Avg =
2.45) seeing a substantial increase in 2011 (Avg = 2.76).
See tables below for further details.
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Data Tables
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of
Everyday Reasoning" All Students
N = 162
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Points
Mean Possible
2.88
9
2.81
15
2.60
11
2.64
19
2.91
16
2.76
35
Average
Number
Correct
6
11
7
13
12
24
Percentile
50.90%
72.71%
67.13%
68.82%
68.73%
62.45%
StDev
0.91
0.85
0.95
0.90
0.85
0.83
Scale: 1 - 4
*Percentiles are based on the rounded means. Therefore, the percentile represents an
approximate percentile.
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011
"The Test of Everyday Reasoning" College Level
Performance
N
72
90
162
College Level
Below College Level
Total
Percent
44.44%
55.56%
100.00%
*College Level performance is equivalent to a score of 70.00% or higher.
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of Everyday
Reasoning" Ages 18 and Under
N = 18
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
2.77
2.64
2.57
2.57
2.74
2.65
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
6
50.90%
1.07
10
60.76%
1.01
7
67.13%
1.02
12
59.46%
1.02
11
56.08%
1.01
23
55.98%
0.98
Diff
-0.11
-0.17
-0.03
-0.07
-0.17
-0.11
Scale: 1 - 4
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Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of Everyday
Reasoning" Ages 19 - 24
N = 36
Points
Mean Possible
Analysis
2.75
9
Inference
2.75
15
Evaluation
2.31
11
Deductive Reasoning 2.56
19
Inductive Reasoning
2.68
16
2.61
35
Total Score
Average
Number
Correct
6
10
6
12
11
23
Percentile StDev
50.90%
1.07
60.76%
0.96
50.40%
1.00
59.46%
1.03
56.08%
0.95
55.98%
0.96
Diff
-0.13
-0.06
-0.29
-0.08
-0.23
-0.15
Scale: 1 - 4
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of Everyday
Reasoning" Ages 25 - 30
N = 27
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
3.08
2.91
2.83
2.73
3.17
2.93
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
7
71.41%
0.79
11
72.71%
0.72
8
80.68%
0.82
13
68.82%
0.77
13
82.47%
0.73
26
74.10%
0.69
Diff
0.20
0.10
0.23
0.09
0.26
0.17
Scale: 1 - 4
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of Everyday
Reasoning" Ages 31 - 40
N = 39
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Institutional Research
Mean
2.99
2.96
2.86
2.82
3.08
2.94
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
4
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
7
71.41%
0.81
11
72.71%
0.79
8
80.68%
0.89
13
68.82%
0.83
12
68.73%
0.75
26
74.10%
0.75
Diff
0.11
0.15
0.26
0.18
0.17
0.18
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Scale: 1 - 4
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of Everyday
Reasoning" Ages 41 and Over
N = 38
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
2.78
2.77
2.49
2.55
2.85
2.69
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
6
50.90%
0.88
10
60.76%
0.81
7
67.13%
0.98
12
59.46%
0.89
11
56.08%
0.82
24
62.45%
0.79
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Diff
-0.10
-0.04
-0.11
-0.09
-0.06
-0.07
Scale: 1 - 4
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking Assessment 2011 "The Test of Everyday
Reasoning" Longitudinal Comparison Combined Cohorts
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Scale: 1 - 4
2007 (N = 537)
Mean
StDev
2.77
0.86
2.60
0.81
2.46
0.83
2.47
0.83
2.76
0.75
2.60
0.73
2009 (N = 321)
Mean
StDev
2.59
1.06
2.52
0.89
2.25
1.04
2.30
0.96
2.63
0.91
2.45
0.89
2011 (N = 162)
Mean StDev
2.88
0.91
2.81
0.85
2.60
0.95
2.64
0.90
2.91
0.85
2.76
0.83
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking The Test of Everyday Reasoning Earned
Hours 9 and Below
N = 121
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
2.90
2.80
2.59
2.64
2.90
2.76
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
7
71.41%
0.89
10
60.76%
0.85
7
67.13%
0.95
13
68.82%
0.91
12
68.73%
0.83
24
62.45%
0.82
Diff
0.02
-0.01
-0.01
0.00
-0.01
0.00
Scale: 1 - 4
Institutional Research
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Rio Salado College Critical Thinking The Test of Everyday Reasoning Earned
Hours 10 - 19
N = 16
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
2.86
2.88
2.82
2.71
3.03
2.86
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
6
50.90%
0.86
11
72.71%
0.83
8
80.68%
0.86
13
68.82%
0.74
12
68.73%
0.91
25
69.22%
0.75
Diff
-0.02
0.07
0.22
0.07
0.12
0.10
Scale: 1 - 4
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking The Test of Everyday Reasoning Earned
Hours 20 - 29
N = 12
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
2.85
2.84
2.45
2.65
2.81
2.72
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
6
50.90%
1.05
11
72.71%
0.76
7
67.13%
1.01
13
68.82%
0.88
11
56.08%
0.83
24
62.45%
0.82
Diff
-0.03
0.03
-0.15
0.01
-0.10
-0.04
Scale: 1 - 4
Rio Salado College Critical Thinking The Test of Everyday Reasoning Earned
Hours 30 - 44
N=9
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
2.52
2.64
2.55
2.34
2.86
2.58
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
6
50.90%
1.18
10
60.76%
1.18
7
67.13%
1.23
11
48.71%
1.16
11
56.08%
1.23
23
55.98%
1.15
Diff
-0.36
-0.17
-0.05
-0.30
-0.05
-0.18
Scale: 1 - 4
Institutional Research
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Rio Salado College Critical Thinking The Test of Everyday Reasoning Earned
Hours 45 and Above
N=4
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Total Score
Mean
3.00
3.13
2.73
2.89
3.06
2.97
Points
Possible
9
15
11
19
16
35
Average
Number
Correct Percentile StDev
7
71.41%
0.76
12
83.57%
0.40
8
80.68%
1.09
14
78.19%
0.79
12
68.73%
0.55
26
74.10%
0.65
Diff
0.12
0.32
0.13
0.25
0.15
0.21
Scale: 1 - 4
Institutional Research
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