WRSD Student Health Survey

During the months of February through May, the Wachusett Regional School District will administer the Student Health Survey (WRSD SHS) to all students in grades 6 through 12. The WRSD SHS is based on the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS was developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to gather information about behaviors associated with the leading causes of illness and injury among young people. The survey is widely used in communities nationwide to gather information about: 

• Emotional health and well-being

• Nutrition and physical activity

• Technology use

• Use of nicotine, alcohol, and other drug use

• Behaviors related to sexual activity and health decision-making

• Behaviors related to intentional injury

• Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries

Additionally, the survey includes questions about positive factors that may help reduce risk behaviors. The information gathered by the survey will be used to review the WRSD Health and Wellness Education Programming and make improvements designed to prevent and reduce risk behaviors among youth. The data is critical in order to create a health and wellness program that is effective, comprehensive, and specifically addresses the needs of WRSD students. The survey is administered electronically, with paper questionnaires available if necessary as back-up. The survey consists of multiple-choice questions and will take approximately 35 minutes to complete. 

Your child's participation is voluntary and anonymous; no names will be collected, used, or reported. Students will be notified at the time of the survey that participation is voluntary. Doing this survey will cause little or no risk to your child. The only potential risk is that some students might find certain questions to be sensitive. The survey has been designed to protect your child’s privacy. Students will not put their names on the survey, and no student will ever be mentioned by name in a report of the results.

For the survey results to be accurate, it is important that all students, regardless of whether they have engaged in health risk behaviors, are given an opportunity to participate in the survey. Valid results depend on high participation rates among students; however, there are no negative consequences for your child, or you, or the school if your child does not participate. Students may skip any questions they do not wish to answer. In addition, students may stop taking the survey at any point without penalty. 

While all students in grades 6 through 12 will take the WRSD SHS, Mountview Middle School and Wachusett Regional High School have been selected to contribute anonymous data to the 2025 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (MYHS). Through a random sampling process, Statewide, 117 schools were selected to participate. Within these schools, 6th through 12th grade classes were randomly selected to participate in the MYHS. About two classes in each of those schools will be randomly selected to contribute their anonymous survey data toward the 2025 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey. The statewide reports do not include names of participating schools or students. The data contributed from WRSD to the state survey is analyzed and reported by the state in aggregate, not by the school to protect the privacy of schools and their students. The MYHS is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 

You have the right to inspect the survey and we encourage you to do so.  It is available below on this webpage. You may elect that your child not participate in taking the 2025 WRHS SHS this academic year. TO OPT OUT A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST COMLETE THE OPT OUT FORM BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2025. If you've elected to opt out of having your child complete the survey he/she will be provided an academic activity during the administration time while other students are completing the survey.