Scale Overview
The GLSEN National School Climate Survey – School Experience Scale (NSCS-SES) was developed by Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network (GLSEN) (2009). It is designed to measure School climate, biased remarks, and school-based harassment. The scale is intended for use with Middle and high school students.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Hearing Homophobic Remarks, Hearing Racist Remarks, Hearing Sexist Remarks, Hearing Remarks about Gender Expression, Verbal Harassment, Physical Harassment, Physical Assault, Other Harassment.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Hearing Homophobic Remarks |
1,2,3,4 |
4 |
| Hearing Racist Remarks |
5,6,7 |
3 |
| Hearing Sexist Remarks |
8,9,10 |
3 |
| Hearing Remarks about Gender Expression |
11,12,13,14 |
4 |
| Verbal Harassment |
15,16,17,18,19,20 |
6 |
| Physical Harassment |
21,22,23,24,25,26 |
6 |
| Physical Assault |
27,28,29,30,31,32 |
6 |
| Other Harassment |
33,34,35,36 |
4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Frequently.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low frequency of biased remarks/harassment: 1 – 2
- Moderate frequency of biased remarks/harassment: 2 – 3
- High frequency of biased remarks/harassment: 3 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (typically alpha > 0.70-0.90 for subscales).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.