Overview

The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) is the largest statewide survey of resiliency, protective factors, risk behaviors, and school climate in the nation. Across California, the CHKS has led to a better understanding of the relationship between students’ health behaviors and academic performance, and is frequently cited by state policymakers and the media as a critical component of school improvement efforts to help guide the development of more effective health, prevention, and youth development programs. It can be easily customized to meet local needs, interests, and standards, and provides a means to confidentially obtain data on student knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about the topics it covers.

All students in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11 are required to take the survey each year. Positive parent consent is required for students in grade 5, while all students in grades 7, 9, and 11 take the survey unless the parent/guardian send back a completed opt out form.

Major Survey Features

• Available in a web-based online version or paper form with optical scan answer sheets.
• Allows schools and districts to monitor whether they are providing the critical developmental supports and opportunities that promote healthy growth and learning.
• Assesses health risks, specifically relating to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use; school violence; physical health; resilience and youth development; and school climate.
• Offers add-on modules that expand on topics covered in the core module, including supplementary school climate and resilience/social-emotional health assessments; as well as address issues of sex education, healthy community environment, military students and families, gang involvement, school equity, cultural responsiveness, and other issues related to the achievement gap.
• Allows schools to customize their surveys and focus on special topics by choosing from many existing items or creating new items of their own.
• Works hand-in-hand with the California School Staff Survey and the California School Parent Survey to enable the comparison of student, teacher, and parent data.

2023-2024 Survey Samples

Elementary School – English

Elementary School – Spanish/Bilingual

Middle School – English

Middle School – Spanish

High School – English

High School – Spanish