Angels Camp, CA…The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) will be administered countywide this November, inviting all students and faculty in Calaveras County schools, as well as many parents, to anonymously share their perspectives and experiences on a wide range of topics related to school safety and culture.

Calaveras County school districts will administer the CHKS to students in seventh, eighth, ninth and eleventh grades and in alternative high schools. School staff members take the School Climate Survey and parents take the Parent Survey. All the surveys are integrated so that it is possible to compare the perspectives of the three groups. Most schools are able to offer on-line versions, and participants can choose not to answer any question on the surveys.

“All of our school districts are working hard to meet the goals of their Local Control Accountability Plans,” said County Superintendent of Schools Kathy Northington. “The Healthy Kids Survey is one of our only sources of local self-reported data, so we have decided as a county to offer it every year in order to track our progress more effectively. Youth and adults are generally quite willing to share their opinions anonymously through the CHKS.”

The Healthy Kids Survey helps to identify assets in students’ lives such as caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for meaningful participation on campus. The surveys ask about attitudes toward school and campus life and gather information on health-related student behaviors. Extensive research has proven a close connection between student health and resilience and student success in school. The data is also used by numerous county agencies and community organizations to identify needs and measure the impact of student support programs.

Parents can preview the surveys online at the Healthy Kids website: chks.wested.org. Parents will be notified of the survey date and allowed to opt-out if they don’t want their student to participate. All four districts and CCOE will administer the Core Module and the AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) Module during November 2016. For further information, parents can contact their student’s school.