Peregrine’s Aggregates: A Guide to Benchmarking Assessment Data

Publish Date: 09/15/2024

Visual graphic of Peregrine Global Services' external benchmarking reporting, aggregate comparisons, student benchmarking

Category: Higher Education

Key Takeaways for Benchmarking Assessment Data

Use benchmarks to add context. Compare student performance with meaningful internal or external reference points rather than interpreting assessment results in isolation.
Choose relevant comparison groups. Peregrine offers aggregate pools based on characteristics such as institution type, accreditation, geography, and other classifications.
Use reliable aggregate data. Peregrine requires at least three schools, 30 exams per school, and 300 completed exams before creating an aggregate pool.
Pair benchmarking with deeper analysis. Use internal, external, longitudinal, and response-level reports to examine strengths, knowledge gaps, trends, and patterns in student performance.

What is benchmarking assessment data in higher education?

Benchmarking assessment data means comparing student performance against meaningful reference points to better understand what assessment results represent. Institutions can use internal comparisons, such as results across cohorts or over time, and external comparisons, such as peer or aggregate groups.

External benchmarking can help faculty place assessment results in context, identify areas of relative strength or potential knowledge gaps, and ask more informed questions about curriculum and student learning. Peregrine’s aggregate pools allow institutions to compare assessment results with selected institutional, accreditation, regional, and international groups.

Available Aggregate Pools

On August 19, 2024, Peregrine published new aggregate pools with expanded topic and subject level benchmarking available in many areas. External comparisons of exam scores with Peregrine’s various aggregate pools are used as a relative index of how your assessed program compares with other programs. There are multiple pools to select from for the comparisons, which include:

General Demographics:

2-Year and 4-Year Institutions
Faith-based Institutions
HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
Located Inside the U.S. (nationally and by individual states)
Military-Centric Schools
Privately Owned (For Profit and Not-for-Profit)
Publicly Owned Universities
Very Large, Privately Owned Universities

Specialized and International Aggregates:

ACBSP, IACBE, AACSB, AUPHA, CAMHE (with various U.S., non-U.S., and regional classifications)
Outside U.S. (including accreditors such as AMBA, EQUIS, and specific regions such as Africa, Asia, Canada, India, Latin America, etc.)
Regional Accreditors:
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Higher Learning Commission
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
New England Commission of Higher Education
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Other:

CAEP
NAEYC
NASPAA

To ensure the reliability and validity of these aggregates, Peregrine adheres to specific criteria. Specifically, to create an aggregate at least three schools must administer an exam, with 30 exams per school and a total of 300 exams completed to create a pool. This ensures that the sample is robust enough to offer a meaningful comparison.

Unlock the Full Potential of the Reports

If you are currently a client of Peregrine, you have access to robust reports for analysis of your data. Some highlights of what you can do with the reports include, but are not limited to:

Zero in on your students’ strengths and knowledge gaps through subject and topic level analysis of your results using the Internal Analysis Report.
Compare your exam results against up to five external benchmarks using the External Comparison Report. If you are utilizing the inbound and outbound exam construct, the report offers the additional benefit of percentage change comparisons between inbound (at the start of a program) and outbound (at the end of a program) exam scores.
Look at trends in your results over time and the effect of improvements or changes made to your program using the Longitudinal Report.
Use the Response Distractor Report as another tool to guide improvement in your program by reviewing the types of errors your students are making most frequently.

To learn more about these and other reports available and to get the most out of your Peregrine data, take advantage of the opportunity to deeply familiarize yourself with your Peregrine dashboard through a Client Admin Tour. During the Client Admin Tour, our team will guide you through navigating the site, reviewing your student registrations and results, and pulling reports. Not only will you receive training, but your Peregrine representative will also review your reports with you, joining you as a thought partner in a discussion and analysis of your results. To book a Client Admin Tour, simply book a time using the linked calendar tool.