Types of Questions on the Illinois Youth Survey:
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
- Beliefs about drug use
- Health and nutritional behaviors
- Feelings about school
- Family support and rules about alcohol use
Survey forms
To view PDF proofs of each printed survey*, click on the appropriate link below:
* Do not attempt to print and use these forms for surveying students. Registered schools will be shipped printed copies.
Survey questions by topic
To view the content of the 2018 IYS survey compared to the 2016 IYS sorted by topic, click on the appropriate link below:
Adding Local Questions
Schools
that participate in the Illinois Youth Survey have the option of adding
questions to their local survey. For information about adding
questions, please see our creating additional questions page. Parents should contact their school to view additional questions used on their survey.
Survey Validity
Studies of surveys similar to the IYS that check substance use
responses against actual drug tests have shown substantial validity. In
addition, the patterns of use revealed by the IYS are consistent with
other measures such as differential treatment rates for different
substances. Although the survey provides valid statewide estimates of
alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use, the data collection process
does have limitations. Since the surveys are conducted in school
settings, the sample does not include youth who are chronically absent,
in alternative school settings, or are not enrolled in a school
(including those who have dropped out of school). In addition, IYS
survey administration is dependent on an individual school's willingness
to voluntarily participate. Finally, as with all self-report surveys,
there is a possibility that respondents may not be truthful in their
answers. Data collection processes are closely monitored to address
these limitations whenever possible and to screen for inconsistencies in
the self-report data.
Perhaps one of the most important things a school can do to ensure
validity is to follow the survey administration instructions. Most
importantly, the instructions highlight ways to make students
comfortable with the fact that the survey cannot be traced back to them.