Florida’s Inappropriate School Surveys: Wait, How Many Surveys?
An FLDOE letter sent to school superintendents on April 17, 2023 announced the administration of a new survey, the Florida-Specific Youth Survey (FSYS). The FLDOE explains the new survey would be “administered alongside” several other surveys “under the umbrella of the 2023 Florida Youth Survey”:
“The FSYS is being administered alongside the Florida Department of Health’s Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS) and the Florida Department of Children and Families’ Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) under the umbrella of the 2023 Florida Youth Survey (FYS). The FYS is designed to reduce the burden on Florida’s public schools by combining three survey instruments into a single survey administration.” [emphasis added]
I wondered if all the surveys are combined into one large survey or if students only get one of the “three survey instruments”, and I had some other questions about these surveys. So on October 3, I called the phone number in the April letter for clarification. I asked the representative if there are three or four different surveys, or one survey administered to students. Neither he nor his colleagues in office were able to provide an answer. Instead he directed me to speak with Senior Director of Student Support Services, Dr. Andrew Weatherill, who was out of office. I emailed Dr. Weatherill and as of October 28 have not received a response.
I did some internet research and found that even the Duval County School District website is confusing. They have links to four different youth surveys despite clearly stating: “There are two versions of the survey questionnaires”. The website then references a “A third version…”!
The Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) includes two versions depending on grade, resulting in four surveys. Duval Schools explains that a student from a selected population will be “asked to complete only one questionnaire.”
FLDOE’s language obfuscates the number of different surveys instead of clearly informing parents and citizens. There are different kinds of surveys created by different agencies given in a “single survey administration”, but can be administered on different days within a specified time period.
the new Florida Youth Specific Survey (grades 9-12),
Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (grades 6-8),
Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (grades 9-12),
Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (grades 6-12).
And Then There Were Five
After searching the Florida Department of Health (FLDOH), I discovered yet another school youth survey: the Middle School Health Behavior Survey (MSHBS). The FLDOH describes the survey: “unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; dietary behaviors; and physical activity.”
5. Middle School Health Behavior Survey (MSHBS)
Why do the FLDOE and FLDOH define the Florida Youth Survey (FYS) differently?
The FLDOH describes the FYS as four survey instruments, rather than the three noted in the Florida Department of Education’s April 17 letter. The FLDOH also states the Florida Youth Survey includes a survey reportedly no longer used, the CDC’s YRBS, and excluded its replacement: the Florida Specific Youth Survey (FSYS).
These surveys are NOT all of the surveys distributed to children in Florida public schools.
In addition to the new FSYS (SEL survey), there are other social emotional learning (SEL) surveys administered to students at multiple points in the school year by Florida school districts. For example, at our high school, Panorama Education administers two surveys twice a year.
Who knows all the surveys actually being presented to children in Florida schools! I recently heard that after studying the Salem witch trials, students in a high school history class were asked to complete surveys on “How Puritan Are You?”. Quizizz has an example of one of the many online “How Puritan Are You?” quizzes, some of the questions in this survey are about personal religious beliefs.
Why is there no Florida Department of Education website that provides a comprehensive list of surveys the department administers in public schools?
For a state institution expressing outrage over CDC Risky Behavior Surveys, the Florida Department of Education seems to be making little effort at transparency about how many and what kind of surveys they continue to distribute to children.