What are the student-level scores and how are they used in creating the benchmarks?
Student-level scale scores are the precursors to the 2004 benchmarks. They are scores derived from an individual student’s responses to the survey items related to a particular benchmark after the scores have all been placed on a 100 point scale. (For information on which items contribute to each benchmark, see benchmark items). The weighted mean of these student scores is the benchmark score for an institution. The student-level scale score is a key component of the new way that NSSE is calculating benchmark scores and allows institutions to perform intra-institutional comparisons more readily than previous years. For more information about changes to the benchmark calculation process, see benchmark revisions.
