Instruments
Positive Youth Development Sustainability Scale (PYDSS)
This scale is meant to be used as a self-reporting tool to assess the impacts of positive youth development programs. These programs are meant to provide opportunities for youth to increase their skills, abilities, and interests in positive activities. This scale was created for both domestic and international use. This scale was based on the PYDI (Arnold et al) but adjusted with items removed and a construct to measure happiness added.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM)
The Psychological Sense of School Membership includes 18-items that measure adolescent students' perceived belonging or psychological membership in the school environment.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
REACH (Relationships) Survey
This survey is a measure of social, emotional, and other factors on a student's motivation to learn. It can be used to capture a one-time snapshot of academic motivation drivers, or can be administered multiple times to assess change in students' motivation and strengths over time.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES)
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a 10-item scale measuring self-esteem within respondents. Half of the scale items are worded positively, while the other half are worded negatively. Each scale item is answered using a 4-point Likert scale, 1 being strongly agree and 4 being strongly disagree.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade
Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy (SEE)
Self-report instrument that measures empathy toward people of racial and ethnic backgrounds different from one’s own. SEE is composed of three instrumental aspects: intellectual empathy, empathic emotions, and the communication of these perspectives to others via word or action. These resolve into three constructs: Empathic expression; empathic perspective-taking; acceptance of cultural differences.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
School Social Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (SSBS-2)
The School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS) are sold by Brookes Publishing and measure social competence and antisocial behavior (with 32 items measuring each). They are filled out by teachers and evaluated by psychologists, and are meant to be accompanied by the Home & Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS)--to be completed by a parent or other adult the student knows well--for a complete assessment.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Self Determination Inventory (SDI)
The SDI is a set of measures to assess a student's self determination. It includes questions about choice making, goal setting, and decision making. The Inventory includes a self-report measure for people aged 13-22 with or without disabilities, as well as a parent or teacher report for an outside perspective. These two assessments can be combined for a full view of a student's self-determination. The assessment uses a continuous scale between "Agree" and "Disagree" on their online platform. For a non-visual option, those using a screen reader can use higher numbers to show higher agreement. There are 17 questions in the measure.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Sense of Social and Academic Fit
The Sense of Social Fit Scale is a 17-item measure that assesses how much a person feels they belong in a group, such as a school, club, or academic department.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Situational Test of Emotion Management
The Situational Test of Emotion Management is an open-source, performance-based multiple choice test that measures how well one is able to manage their emotions. It was developed in combination with the Situational Test of Emotional Understanding. Both long and short forms are available, as well as an 11-item form appropriate for youth ages 11-15 and their parents called the STEM-Y.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary (SEHS-S)
The Social Emotional Survey-Secondary (SEHS-S) is a 36-item self-report measure of students’ social and emotional strengths. The 12 subscales (each consisting of three items) are associated with four domains of positive social-emotional health: belief in self, belief in others, emotional competence, and engaged living. These four correlated domains assess the higher-order construct of covitality. The SEHS-2020 is the most recent validated version.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Social Identities and Attitudes Scale (SIAS)
The Social Identities and Attitudes Scale (SIAS) measures susceptibility to stereotype threat in mathematics for both gender and ethnicity.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Social Networks and Friendship Survey
The Social Networks and Friendship Survey asks participants to indicate their friends in the classroom. From this list, children are asked to identify the top 3 friends by marking them with a star. The survey also asks children to indicate “rejects” or children with whom they don’t like to hang out.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Social Perspective Taking
Social Perspective Taking (SPT) is measured through three sub-scales which are the SPT Propensity scale, the SPT Confidence scale, and the SPT Importance scale (24 items total). In the initial study, a performance task to assess social perspective taking ability and an interview to uncover motivations behind SPT were also administered.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Social Problem Solving Inventory Revised (SPSI-R)
The Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) is published and sold by MHS Assesments (it is also distributed by Pearson). It contains 5 scales to measure different dimensions of social problem solving: Positive Problem Orientation, Negative Problem Orientation, Rational Problem Solving, Impulsivity/Carelessness Style, and Avoidance Style. It is an individual assessment with Likert-style responses appropriate for ages 13-18.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2)
The Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) measures the presence and severity of social impairment within the autism spectrum. Parents, teachers, or other observers evaluate social ability in various natural settings for children between 2.5 and 18 years using age-appropriate forms with 65 Likert-scale items. Four forms are available: pre-school (2.5-4.5 years), school-age (4-18 years), adult (19+), and adult self-report. SRS-2 has 5 subscales: social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. The total continuous score indicates the severity of social deficits in the autism spectrum.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Neurodiversity
Grades: < 3 Years, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Social Skills Improvement System, Social-Emotional Learning Edition (SSIS SEL)
The Social Skills Improvement System-Social Emotional Learning Edition (SSIS SEL) is sold through Pearson and measures a variety of social and emotional competencies using both norm and criterion referencing. There are both digital and paper versions which can be completed by students, parents, or teachers. There is also a brief version of the form.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Student Engagement Instrument (SEI)
The Student Engagement Instrument (SEI) is a 35-item (secondary) or 31-items (elementary) instrument that measures various components of student engagement, including teacher-student relationships which may provide insights into students' sense of belonging at school.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Student Success Network (SSN) Survey
The SSN student survey measures 7 SEL competencies that are connected to persistance and success in students. The categories include academic self-efficacy, belonging, growth mindset, interpersonal skills, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and self-regulation. The survey is intended for students in grades 6-12.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS)
The Echelle de Motivation en Education (EME) is based on the tenets of self-determination theory and is composed of 28 items subdivided into 7 subscales assessing three types of intrinsic motivation (intrinsic motivation to know, to accomplish things, and to experience stimulation), three types of extrinsic motivation (external, introjected, and identified regulation), and amotivation. The EME was translated into English and named the Academic Motivation Scale. The English version, the AMS, showed satisfactory levels of internal consistency temporal stability over a one-month period. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 7-factor structure of the AMS. A college version is also available.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
The Bridge-Positive Youth Development (Bridge-PYD)
The Bridge-Positive Youth Development measure is an open-source, 40-item Likert survey initially validated using responses from 7-18-year-old children in a community-based after school program in Denver, CO. It uses a resilience-based framework incorporating the 5 Cs: Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring/Compassion.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade
The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA)
A revised version of the ERQ, the ERQ-CA is meant to be used in non-adult samples. Revision of the ERQ visible in the ERQ-CA include simplification of item wording and a switch from a 7-point Likert scale to a 5-point Likert scale.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Flourishing Children Project (FCP)
The Flourishing Children Project, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, has constructed 20 scales based on a nationally representative sample to measure different dimensions of personal flourishing. The scales are open access, and many offer versions for both adolescents (ages 12-18) and parents. The scales fall into 5 categories: Personal Flourishing, Flourishing in School and Work, Flourishing in Relationships, Relationship Skills, and Environmental Stewardship.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Hemingway Measure of Adolescent Connectedness
The full 78-item Hemingway includes 15 ecological subscales measuring three domains of adolescent connectedness - connectedness to self, connectedness to others, and connectedness to society.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The School Success Profile (SSP)
The SSP, available in both English and Spanish, is an online survey questionnaire with 195 multiple-choice items. These items address students’ beliefs about their social environment—neighborhoods, schools, friends, and families—and about their own physical and psychological health and school performance (individual adaptation). The survey is divided into six modules: About You (6 items), Neighborhood (26 items), School (54 items), Friends (25 items), Family (45 items), and Health and Well-Being (39 items).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Social Problem Solving Inventory Revised
The Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R; D’Zurilla et al., 2002) is a 52-item, Likert-type inventory consisting of five major scales that measure the five different dimensions in the D’Zurilla et al. social problem-solving model. These scales are the Positive Problem Orientation (PPO) scale (5 items), the Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) scale (10 items), the Rational Problem Solving (RPS) scale (20 items), the Impulsivity/Carelessness Style (ICS) scale (10 items), and the Avoidance Style (AS)scale (7 items). Using this instrument, “good” social problem-solving ability is indicated by high scores on PPO and RPS and low scores on NPO, ICS, and AS, whereas “poor” social problem-solving ability is indicated by low scores on PPO and RPS and high scores on NPO, ICS, and AS. In addition to the five major scales, the RPS scale is broken down into four subscales (each with five items) that measure the four major problem-solving skills in the D’Zurilla et al. social problem-solving model: (a) the Problem Definition and Formulation (PDF) subscale, (b) the Generation of Alternative Solutions (GAS) subscale,(c) the Decision Making (DM) subscale, and (d) the Solution Implementation and Verification (SIVS) subscale. A 25-item short form of the SPSI-R is also available that measures the five major problem-solving dimensions but does not provide subscales that measure the four specific skills within the rational problem-solving construct.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
The Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS)
The Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS) were developed at the University of Oregon and are sold by Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR). They measure responsibility, self regulation, social competence, and empathy, and contain both long and short forms for K-12 students, parents, and teachers. The forms are often used for progress monitoring and program evaluations. PAR sells the forms in English and Spanish, and they have also been translated into Chinese and Portuguese.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Assessment Suite (TEIQue)
The TEIQue is a scientific measurement instrument based exclusively on trait EI theory and providing a comprehensive assessment of the emotional world of the individual. The TEIQue is predicated on trait EI theory, which conceptualises emotional intelligence as a personality trait, located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. Several version of the TEIQue are available.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3)
UCLA Loneliness Scale-3 is an instrument measuring self-reported subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Its 20 items use a Likert-type rating scale ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (always).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Mental Health
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
VIA Youth Survey
The Values in Action Youth Survey (VIA Youth Survey) is an open-access Likert survey for children ages 10-17 measuring 24 character strengths within the broad categories Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, Transcendence, and Wisdom. It has both a 96- and 198- item version, and it has been adapted into many other languages and shorter forms. Values in Action also makes adult character strength surveys and other assessments for younger children such as the Character Strengths Inventory for Children (CSI-C) and the Character Strengths Inventory for Early Childhood (CSI-EC) for children ages 7-12 and 3-6, respectively.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Third Edition (Vineland-3)
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Third Edition (Vineland-3) is an instrument for diagnosing intellectual and developmental disabilities and planning treatment. Vineland-3 focuses on the following domains of adaptive behavior: 1) communication, 2) daily living skills, and 3) socialization. Vineland-3 offers the Survey Interview Form for conducting semi-structured interviews with parents or caregivers, the Parent/Caregiver Rating Forms questionnaire (can be used for all ages), and the Teacher Rating Form (can be used for ages 3-21).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Neurodiversity
Grades: < 3 Years, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Washoe County School District Social and Emotional Competency Assessments (WCSD-SECAs)
The Washoe County School District Social and Emotional Competency Assessments (WCSD-SECAs) are free, open-source instruments that measure the self-reported social and emotional competencies of students in grades 5-12. The WCSD-SECA instruments were developed through a collaboration among WCSD, the Collaborative for Academic and Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), and the University of Illinois at Chicago through an Institute of Education Sciences Research-Practitioner Partnership grant.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Youth Purpose Scale/Claremont Purpose Scale
This scale measures three dimensions of purpose: goal directedness, personal meaning, and beyond-the-self orientation. Purpose is operationalized by the developers of the scale as a long-term, forward looking intention to accomplish meaningful aims. Each of the 12 items has a Likert style response, but the scale items are unique to each question causing a slower response time which can lead to a more accurate measure.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade