Introduction to the Idaho Youth Well-Being Survey
Understanding students' strengths and challenges helps schools provide the resources and opportunities students need to succeed.
This fall, Coeur d'Alene Public Schools will offer the Idaho Youth Well-being Survey (IYWS) to students in grades 6-12. The survey provides valuable information that helps schools and communities better understand students' experiences and make informed decisions about programs, services, and resources that support student success.
Parent Consent Required
Parents/guardians must provide consent in Skyward before their student(s) may participate. This requirement applies to both new and returning students. Consent must be submitted annually. Click the Skyward link below to provide consent.
What Does the Survey Ask?
The survey includes age-appropriate questions about topics such as:
Physical and emotional health
School experiences and attendance
Family relationships and trusted adults
Friendships and extracurricular activities
Sleep, exercise, and screen time
Bullying and school climate
Substance use
Community involvement
Future goals and personal strengths
Some questions address sensitive topics, including depression, suicide, dating violence, discrimination, and food insecurity, to help schools and communities better understand challenges young people may face. Students are never required to answer any question they are uncomfortable answering and may stop the survey at any time.
Why Participate?
The Idaho Youth Well-being Survey helps schools and communities:
Better understand the strengths and needs of local students.
Make informed decisions about programs and student resources.
Measure trends over time to better support student success.
Ensure decisions are based on local data rather than assumptions.
The information collected stays local and is intended to benefit students and families in our community. Survey results are reported only in summary form. Individual student responses are never identified. The data helps schools and communities understand overall trends and make informed decisions about programs and services.
Idaho Youth Well-Being Survey FAQs
What is the background of the new version of the Idaho Youth Well-Being Survey?
The survey was first vetted and approved by the Idaho Legislature and the Idaho Department of Education for the 2024-25 academic year. However, the survey has been administered to Idaho public schools as part of our regional initiatives since 2021.
How many schools in Idaho have administered the survey since the time it was approved?
About 60 schools completed the survey in the 2025-26 school year. Here’s a list of schools that have completed the survey or plan to complete the survey in the 2026-27 school year.
If the survey is anonymous, how is actionable information gathered? Knowing, for example, that 20% of students have considered suicide is concerning. How can we act if we don’t know which students are vulnerable?
While it is incredibly tough to see statistics like these, anonymous data is actually one of our most powerful tools for creating systemic change. The survey acts as a health check for our student body as a whole, not as an individual diagnostic tool.
By looking at the big picture, we can pinpoint community-wide trends, secure funding, and implement targeted school-wide prevention programs. For individual students who are struggling, we do not rely on a survey; we have dedicated support systems, counselors, and staff trained to recognize warning signs and connect students directly to immediate help.
How is the data kept and stored, and how will it be shared?
Student privacy and data security are our top priorities. Below are ways we handle the information:
Storage & Anonymity: The data is completely anonymous and cannot be tracked back to any individual student.
Analysis: A small, specialized research team at Boise State University (via the Communities for Youth Project) will analyze the responses.
Ownership & Sharing: Coeur d’Alene Public Schools retains full ownership of the final, aggregated data which will be shared with our community.
Your Student's Privacy
Protecting student privacy is a top priority.
Responses are completely anonymous and cannot be linked to an individual student.
Participation is voluntary. Students may skip any question they do not wish to answer or stop the survey at any time.
No grades, services, or school opportunities are affected by whether or not a student participates.
Background
The survey was developed by Idaho educators and community partners in collaboration with the Idaho State Department of Education.
The survey has been reviewed by Idaho parents, educators, and legislators from both political parties.
Survey results remain local, giving schools and communities information they can use to better support Idaho students.
The survey takes approximately one class period to complete.
More than 15,000 Idaho middle and high school students have already participated.