How Sound Is NSSE?: Investigating the Psychometric Properties of NSSE at a Public, Research-Extensive Institution

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Benchmarks has emerged as a competing paradigm for assessing institutional effectiveness vis-à-vis the U.S. News & World Report. However, Porter (2009) has critiqued it for failing to meet validity and reliability standards. This study investigated whether the NSSE five benchmarks had construct and predictive validity for non-transfer seniors at one mid-Atlantic, research-extensive institution and found that the five-benchmark model had high intercorrelations among the benchmarks, low item loadings, and low reliability scores. This study also found that the NSSE benchmark model was not a valid predictor of cumulative GPA for this institution.