Understanding Survey Results
Excluded Respondents
The total number of respondents in an institution’s raw data file may differ from the number included in its institutional dashboard because certain responses are intentionally excluded from results.
Respondents are excluded from DESSE results for the following reasons:
Respondents indicated their age as under 18. Note: Data for these students are not returned in the raw data file and does not appear in the dashboards. (Variable: CURGRADE is zero. Responses where age was not marked are included in the analysis)
Respondents indicated they are taking zero dual enrollment courses at the college. Data for these students are returned in the raw data file but are excluded from dashboards. (Variable: TOTDECRSES_CNT is zero. Blank responses are included in the dashboards)
For questions about respondent inclusion or exclusion, contact data@cccse.org.
Respondents Included in the Raw Data File
Raw data files contain responses from students who participated in DESSE, subject to CCCSE’s data-management and confidentiality policies.
The number of respondents in the raw data file may differ from the number included in the institutional dashboard or displayed in survey-administration tracking tools.
For assistance conducting analyses using the same inclusion criteria applied to DESSE results, contact data@cccse.org.
DESSE Sampling, Weighting, and Local Student Characteristics
Online Administration
To boost responses to the online survey, sampling is not employed; the survey invitation is sent to all eligible dual enrollment students. Research shows that women are more likely to complete online surveys than men. As a result, women are over-represented. Statistical weighting, discussed in detail below, is used to adjust for this bias.
Weighting
Post-stratification weights based on gender are used. Weights are calculated for each institution and are based on the most recent publicly available IPEDS dual enrollment figures.
Deactivating Weights
Under certain circumstances, deactivating weights may be a more informative way to examine institutional DESSE data. Even the most recent IPEDS data are approximately two years old and may not always accurately represent a college's current student population. A college's institutional research department may want to consider whether the weights based on the IPEDS data are completely appropriate.
Dashboard Results
Executive Dashboard
The Executive dashboard presents selected high-level findings about students’ dual enrollment experiences. It is intended to provide an accessible overview rather than a complete presentation of every DESSE item.
Focus Areas Dashboard
The Focus Areas dashboard organizes related survey items into 15 areas of the dual enrollment student experience. Users can select an area and examine college and national results for the items associated with that focus area.
DESSE focus areas are organizational categories and should not be interpreted as standardized benchmark scores unless CCCSE has explicitly calculated and labeled them as such.
Demographic Comparisons Dashboard
The Demographic Comparisons dashboard allows users to compare the response distributions of two selected student groups.
The dashboard presents the number and percentage of respondents selecting each response option. Differences between groups are descriptive and should not automatically be interpreted as statistically significant.
Student-Level Comparison Definitions
Each comparison category is based on students’ responses to specific DESSE survey items.
Gender
Item 2: “Mark your gender”
Results are grouped according to the gender selected by the respondent.
Race/Ethnicity
Item 42: “What is your racial or ethnic identification? Mark all that apply.”
Race/ethnicity is coded as I prefer not to respond if a student selects that response, regardless of whether another response is also selected.
If a student selects more than one race or ethnicity response option, the race/ethnicity variable is coded as Two or More Races.
First-Generation and Not First-Generation
Item 43: “Who in your family has attended at least some college? Mark all that apply.”
Respondents who indicate that their mother or father attended at least some college are classified as Not First-Generation.
Respondents who do not indicate that their mother or father attended at least some college but select another response option, including “no one,” are classified as First-Generation.
If a respondent does not select any response option, first-generation status is classified as missing.
Free or Reduced-Price Meals
Item 44: “Are you eligible for free or reduced-price meals at your high school?”
Results are grouped according to the response selected by the respondent.
Early-College High School Status
Item 3: What high school do you attend?
Respondents who selected a high school that was designated as “early or middle college” in a list provided to CCCSE by the survey contact from each institution are coded as “Early College High School.” Otherwise, they are coded as “Not early college high school.”
Results are grouped according to the college coding of the high schools.
Current Grade
Item 1: “In what grade are you currently enrolled?”
Results are grouped according to the grade selected by the respondent.
Student Identifier Data
In accordance with Texas state law and The University of Texas at Austin’s policies, CCCSE does not provide student-identifier data in the institutional raw data file available through the DESSE system.
To request a securely transmitted data file containing student identifiers, contact your DESSE liaison or surveyops@cccse.org.