Training & Support

Use of the CHKS is supported by a wide range of training materials and other resources for presenting your data. The survey’s administration instructions, workshops, guidebooks, workbooks, and presentations are described and posted below for downloading. See other publications that describe the survey or survey results.

Guidebooks for the California Healthy Kids Survey

The three-part Guidebook for the California Healthy Kids Survey is the how-to guide for planning, administering, and reporting the survey. Companion guidebooks are also available for the School Climate Survey for teachers and other staff.

Part I: Administration, 2011-2012 Edition (pdf). Part I provides detailed instruction on all aspects of administering the survey in California, along with ready-to-use support materials and tools. It serves as a step-by-step guide to the tasks that need to be performed, and contains an overview of the survey’s purpose, its content and format, its requirements, the reporting process and fees, and the procedures for maintaining data confidentiality.

Part II: Survey Content, 2011-2012 Edition (pdf). Designed to be used along with the tables in the Main Report, this guidebook discusses the significance of each question in the survey by topic, including why it is asked, what research tells us about it, and what the program implications of the results might be. The Survey Content Guidebook is divided into the following three sections, each available as a separate download.
- Core Module Section: Elementary and Secondary Schools (pdf)
- Resilience and Youth Development Module Section (pdf)
- Supplemental Modules Section (pdf)
Part III: Data Use and Dissemination, 2011-2012 Edition (pdf). Part II is designed to help local practitioners and policy makers get the most out of the rich data contained within each CHKS report. It will assist schools in: (a) understanding their results; (b) assessing their results; and (c) deriving the maximum benefit from their data. It provides a basic road map that can lead you from the beginning of the data-use process (reviewing your report and assessing your data) to the end (using data to make programmatic decisions).

Guidebooks for the Cal-SCHLS

The following guidebooks provide integrated administration instructions for the student (CHKS), staff (CSCS), and parent (CSPS) surveys. The guidebooks provide descriptions of the tasks common to all three surveys as well as more detailed instructions for the student survey (including sampling, parent consent, etc.).

For California Schools and Districts

Guidebook to the California School Climate, Health, & Learning Surveys, 2011-2012 Edition (pdf)

For Schools and Districts Outside of California

Guidebook to the Healthy Kids School Climate Surveys, 2011-2012 Edition (pdf)

Companion guidebooks are also available for the California School Climate Survey for teachers and other staff.

Helpline (888.841.7536)

Survey specialists provide on-call consultation in all aspects of survey implementation and use through the Cal-SCHLS toll-free Helpline. Supporting this service is a comprehensive database that includes profiles for every school district conducting the survey, monitors their survey needs and issues, and tracks the services provided.

Cal-SCHLS System Regional Centers

Three Cal-SCHLS Regional Centers provide technical assistance based on localized knowledge. Calls placed to the survey Helpline (888.841.7563) are automatically directed to the school district's own Regional Center. Visit Contact Us for a listing of staff in each center.

Expert Consultant Pool

Non-grantee schools may obtain additional assistance by contacting a school climate consultant.

News & Highlights

New Source of CHKS Funding Announced (pdf). The California Departments of Education and Alcohol and Drug Programs are pleased to announce a new plan for conducting the 2011-12 state-mandated Biennial California Student Survey as part of normal local administration of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). Districts and schools agreeing to participate in the Biennial Survey will receive substantial incentives that will reduce the cost and burden of conducting their own district CHKS. Participation only involves including a short module of questions about substance use to the CHKS survey. Click here for more info.
CA Healthy Kids Survey Data Helping Redondo Beach Schools improve API. Schools in Redondo Beach, CA report that recent increases in API scores are linked to using CHKS data to help them identify areas of strength and weakness in how they support their students' social, emotional, and physical development. The district uses multiple indicators, including CHKS data, to measure student success, and believes that improved academic performance is a result of focusing on educating the whole child. Read the complete article here.
New Cal-SCHLS Surveys Administration Info and Pricing for 2011-2012 (pdf). As part of our continuing efforts to respond to the needs of California students, schools, and families, several major innovations in the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and the California School Climate Survey (CSCS) for staff have recently occurred.