Some interesting data from school districts linking the use of higher order thinking skills across the curriculum is slowly surfacing. The Kentwood School District in Michigan reported that in 1999, test scores for fourth grade math rose from 78 to 86 and seventh grade reading improved from 50 to 55. The most dramatic results were in fourth grade reading, where the scores soared from 59 to 71. This change was not the result of an influx of higher ability students, as it was also reported that the district's at-risk population more than doubled during the same time period. The superintendent, Dr. Mary Leieker, attributed her district's gains to an emphasis on higher-order thinking skills (Leiker 2000).

Another interesting finding was a policy brief which examined the quantitative impacts of the eMINTS program adopted in 2000 by the state of Missouri to determine if a correlation existed between the adoption of the program and the analysis of the MAP test scores in spring of 2001. The eMINTS program was designed to transform the instructional process by supporting elementary teachers as they develop student-centered and inquiry-based instruction incorporating multimedia and computer technology. Forty-four schools in forty-seven school districts voluntarily participated statewide. Though this program, teachers and students explore interactive learning experiences that require them to use critical-thinking skills and group problem-solving techniques. Each eMINTS elementary teacher participated in two hundred hours of ongoing professional development during a two year-period. Instructional specialists were available to help coach and support the participating teachers in the classroom. The results of the analysis represent the test scores form a total of 6102 third and fourth grade students enrolled in 288 separate classrooms. Of the 222 classrooms, 85 were eMINTS classrooms and the remaining 203 were non-eMINTS. Approximately 30 percent of the third and fourth grade students in the participating schools were enrolled in eMINTS classes. The third grade subjects tested were in Language Arts and Science, while the fourth grade subject tests were in Social Studies and Math. While the results from the third grade analysis demonstrated no significant gains, the fourth grade results showed significant improvement for those students enrolled in eMINTS classes. In math, a higher percentage of fourth grade students in eMINTS classes scored in the Proficient and Advanced categories compared to fourth graders statewide. Additionally, thirty-five percent of eMINTS students scored in the Proficient category, compared to 28.7 percent of all fourth graders. Twelve percent of eMINTS students scored in the Advanced category, compared to 8.0 percent of all fourth graders. The results for the Social Studies test showed that over half of all eMINTS students scored in the Proficient or Advanced categories. Overall, the percentage of eMINTS students in the Proficient and Advanced categories was higher than both the group of all fourth graders and non-eMINTS group. Students with special needs, on free or reduced lunch, and enrolled in Title One were also included in the eMINTS classes. Their scores were higher than non-eMINTS students who were in the same category (Evaluation Team, eMINTS 2002).

Finally, perhaps the most significant study was one conducted in Chicago called "Authentic Intellectual Work and Standardized Tests: Conflict or Coexistence?" This study was conducted over a three-year period (1997-1999) in the Chicago School System. The report presented substantial new evidence on the issue raised by the question: What happens to students scores on standardized tests of basic skills when urban teachers in disadvantaged schools assign work that demands complex thinking and elaborate communication about issues important in students' lives? Four-hundred Chicago classrooms from 19 different elementary schools participated in the study, and the intellectual demand of more than 2,000 classroom assignments in writing and mathematics were analyzed and then linked to learning gains on standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and writing for almost 5,000 students. This represented the largest single body of evidence ever collected in disadvantaged urban schools on this topic up to that time as determined by the researchers. The two standardized tests used to determine if a correlation existed between critical thinking and test improvement were the ITBS and the IGAP, administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. The results of the study for the ITBS demonstrated that in Chicago classrooms with high-quality assignments, students' learning gains were 20 percent greater than the national average. In contrast, in Chicago classrooms where assignment quality reflected less demand, students gained 25 percent less than the national average in reading and 22 percent less in mathematics. There were also significant improvements made on the IGAP tests. The researchers concluded that a diverse array of students benefit from participation in a classroom with high-quality intellectual assignments and that those classrooms with high-quality intellectual assignments demonstrated significant gains on standardized assessment tests (Newman 2001). Prior to this study, the Chicago researchers determined that there was very little evidence correlating critical thinking and improvement in test. However, previous research findings did not include large numbers of students, as research relating to this topic appears to be in its infancy. The authors of the Chicago report felt that in the educational field, there seems to be a dichotomy between teaching critical thinking and preparation for standardized tests. Due to this study's findings, they believe that this is in fact a false dichotomy and that both can coexist (Newman 2002). The most important element to consider in incorporating critical thinking successfully into daily instruction is the training afforded every teacher to master these strategies. The question remains as to whether or not school districts are willing to allocate the funds to do so.

Home
Purpose
Definitions of Critical Thinking
Teachers' Utilization of Critical Thinking in the Classroom
Correlation of Teaching Critical Thinking Skills to Standardized Test Improvement
Methodology
Analysis of Results - Questionnaire Analysis
Analysis of Results - Cartoon Analysis
Analysis of Results - Analysis of Chapter Quiz
Analysis of the Individual Assignment
Analysis of Group Assignment
Teacher Analysis of Daily Lessons