Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) Refresh

Since 2001 the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) has provided actionable student engagement data to two-year colleges across the United States and beyond. Over its first four administrations the survey underwent several revisions, and in 2004 evolved into the instrument used by member colleges today.

CCCSE recently looked back on over ten years of CCSSE data and reported those findings in Engagement Rising. Informed by this analysis of CCSSE data, member college feedback, and cognitive interviews with community college students, we are pleased to announce CCCSE's newest survey-related project: CCSSE Refresh. This process of survey review and revision began in 2014 and culminated in the release of the new CCSSE survey instrument during the spring 2017 administration.

Colleges familiar with the version of the survey administered between 2005 and 2016 will see that on the surface very little has changed. CCSSE Refresh was never intended as an overhaul of an already-successful instrument for data collection and benchmarking. Rather, CCSSE Refresh consists of a series of changes—edits to some items, removal of a few outdated items, and the addition of several High-Impact Practices items—that improves the quality of data available to colleges and make the survey more relevant in relation to changes in the community college field. All CCSSE Refresh revisions have been made with member colleges in mind, as the continued success of CCSSE ultimately depends on the survey's continued relevance and usefulness to the institutions it serves.

Supporting Documents

CCSSE 2005-2016 / CCSSE 2017-Present Codebook Crosswalk

This document details changes that were made between the 2005-2016 and 2017-Present versions of CCSSE.

CCSSE 2005-2016 / CCSSE 2017-Present Benchmark Descriptions

This document details the changes that were made to the five benchmarks between the 2005-2016 and 2017-Present versions of CCSSE.

Effect of Changes to Benchmark Items on CCSSE 2017-Present

This document briefly describes analyses conducted to examine the effects of these changes on the 2017-Present benchmark scores compared to the 2005-2016 benchmark scores.

How Calculated Variables are Created

This document explains how calculated variables like first-generation, race/ethnicity, developmental status, and others are created.

CCSSE 2017-Present Reporting Webinar

CCCSE staff hosted a live webinar after 2017 reporting was released to provide an overview of updates to CCSSE data and reporting. To view a recording of the webinar, please visit https://meeting.austin.utexas.edu/pwteslmtncca/.