Dear Survey Girl,
I coordinate an after-school program for students in grades 1 through 5. I want to survey my students to measure their Developmental Assets, but I don’t see anything on your Web site for students younger than 4th grade. Does Search Institute have any surveys for younger students?
Thanks,
Keeping It Developmentally Sound
Hi KIDS,
This is a really common question. Most of our surveys are designed for use with youth in grades 6 to 12. One survey, Me and My World, can be used with students in grades 4 to 6, but we don’t have surveys for students in grades 3 and below.
While Search is always looking to expand our research and resources to reach younger children, Pat Seppanan, former Director of Research Applications at Search Institute and currently of Rainbow Research in Minneapolis, says that surveying children in grades K3 is often difficult. The students’ reading levels vary, and they are less able than older students to provide the overall responses that surveys and questionnaires require.
“[There is also] the challenge of assessing asset-based outcomes that are more focused on higher-order knowledge, skills, and behaviors than factual information and skills,” Seppanan says.
She suggests several other methods for gathering data from younger children that are more valid and reliable than administering a survey.
“There is no simple answer, but [other reliable methods include] direct observation of a sample of children, asking knowledgeable adults to rate particular child behaviors, and working with children to create some individual portfolios that illustrate examples and personal stories related to each asset category.”
So there you have it! For more ideas on assessing younger children and links to other resources, check out Pat’s Tip Sheet.
Best,
