DEEP Lab

The Arizona Youth Survey (AYS) is administered every two years to a statewide sample of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade youth under the direction of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission in partnership with Arizona State University. The survey asks students about engagement in substance use and problem behaviors at school and elsewhere (e.g., fighting, bullying, truancy, vaping marijuana).  It also assesses more than 20 different risk and protective factors associated with these problem behaviors (e.g., victimization at school, school bonding, affiliation with deviant peers/gangs). To watch a brief video describing the survey administration procedures and benefits for school/district participation click here.

School Enrollment

School enrollment for the Spring 2026 administration of the Arizona Youth Survey is now open. Students complete the anonymous online survey during a single class period, and the survey can be administered on any day from 03/16/26 to 05/18/26.  To enroll for an administration date, simply complete the online 2026 AYS School Enrollment Form.  School enrollment will close on February 28th, 2026.

Survey Questions

A PDF version of the 2026 Arizona Youth Survey questions can be downloaded here.  The survey DOES NOT ask sensitive questions pertaining to: Gender identity, sexual behaviors/attitudes, medical/mental health history, suicidal behaviors/thoughts, or religious behaviors/beliefs. 

Survey Administration and Parental Consent 

The AYS is administered to students using a secure online platform. Student participation is voluntary and anonymous. Because the AYS is directed by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, it can be administered in schools using opt-out parental consent (For details ACJC Director's Letter).  Specifically, exemption D. of AZ statue 15-117 indicates that signed parental consent is not required for: 

"Any survey conducted or implemented by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission if, at least seven days before the survey is administered to a pupil, the school district or charter provides the pupil's parent with a paper or electronic copy of the survey or electronic access to the survey." 

Despite this exemption, schools can choose to administer the AYS to students using signed parental consent (opt-in) at their discretion.  The links to the different consent options are included below. 

• 2026 Opt-Out Consent - English
• 2026 Opt-Out Consent - Spanish
• 2026 Opt-In Consent - English
• 2026 Opt-In Consent - Spanish

Benefits for Schools and Districts

All participating schools and districts receive a confidential report detailing the strengths and challenges faced by their students relative to statewide norms. This data can help inform the development of programs and policies designed to improve student success. The findings can also be used to help schools and local agencies justify the need for grant-funded prevention programs.  Below are examples of the school and district reports that were distributed as part of the 2024 AYS administration:

• Example Middle School Report
• Example High School Report
• Example District Report

What is the focus of the 2026 Arizona Youth Survey?

The AYS is based on the Communities that Care survey, developed by researchers at the University of Washington. The focus is to better understand the prevalence and frequency of problematic youth behaviors – such as substance use, gang involvement, and the risk and protective factors associated with these behaviors.

Do parents need to provide active consent?

The AYS is able to use passive parent consent. AZ Statute 15-117 Section D.5 specifies that the AYS can still be administered in schools without signed parental permission as long as 7 days prior to administration: 1) Parents are informed about the survey administration and are given access to an electronic copy of the survey, and 2) They have the ability to opt their child out of participating. However, schools can choose to obtain active parental consent before administering the survey to students.

What kinds of questions are asked?

The survey includes questions related to substance use, delinquent behaviors and related risk and protective factors. Collecting this information directly from the student provides us with measures of these behaviors that are not available from any other data source.

Why should my school participate?

The AYS gathers information on the individual and environmental factors affecting your students. The data will allow you to better understand the needs of your students, can inform risk and protective factor prevention planning, and assess whether these approaches lead to better outcomes, such as reductions in substance use, problem behaviors, and improved academic outcomes.

Your school will receive a summary report describing your school’s data, along with stateside results for comparison. If your school participated in the 2022 or 2024 AYS, the report will include data allowing you to track trends over time. This information is provided to your school at no cost.

Are any other schools participating in this survey? 

Yes, schools from around the state are expected to participate in the survey.  In 2024, 255 schools participated.

What will my school be asked to do?

The survey is administered in a school classroom setting by the school teacher.  The school will be provided with all necessary materials for completing the survey, including teacher instructions and a written script to be read to students at the beginning of the class that explains the purpose and voluntary nature of the survey.  

Also, we provide your school with a standard letter to notify parents of the survey and allows parents to request that their child not participate. 

What if a student does not wish to participate?

Student participation is completely voluntary. A script will be read to the students prior to the survey that informs students that their participation is voluntary.  They are also advised that they may skip any question that they do not want to answer.  We recommend that students who decline participation in the AYS receive an alternate activity to do while the survey is conducted.

Is student participation anonymous?

Yes. The survey does not ask for any identifiable information. When completing the survey, students should be arranged so their answers cannot be seen by the teacher administering the survey or by any other students. 

What will my students be asked to do? 

Students will be asked to complete a self-administered survey during one class period at school. The student will be asked to read each question and select a response from a list of pre-identified responses.

How long does it take to complete the survey?

The survey will take many students a full class period to complete, approximately 45-50 minutes.

Is the survey available on paper?

No. The AYS survey is available only online. Schools that choose to administer the survey will receive a URL address two weeks prior to their administration date and all students will use this address to access the survey.

Can my school schedule to administer the survey for more than one day?

Yes, schools may schedule to have their school administer the survey for multiple days. When enrolling select the first date of administration, Arizona State University staff will be in contact to review your enrollment information with you.  You can also email Emma Rodgers at [email protected] to schedule additional dates.

Can my school reschedule after enrolling?

Yes, we understand that unanticipated events may occur that require the change of your administration date. Please contact Emma Rodgers at [email protected] if you need to reschedule.

How is the survey coordinated at each school?

Schools should identify one individual who will be responsible for coordinating all of the surveys at your school.  This person might be the Safe and Drug-Free School Coordinator, or some other staff member. This person will be the primary contact for ASU staff regarding administration and will serve as the primary contact for teacher questions.

Will the results be made available to my school?

Yes. The principal or identified designee of each participating school will receive a school-specific report summarizing the data collected at your school. The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission will publish state and county-level reports that will not identify any of the participating schools.

How will this information be used?

Information from the 2026 AYS survey can be used to meet a variety of needs at the school, community, city, county, and state levels.

• Survey information can be used to identify the nature and extent of various problem behaviors.  This information can be used to inform resource and policy decisions, such as where prevention and intervention efforts are more needed.
• At the state and federal levels, there are a variety of competing interests for limited prevention and intervention resources. Data obtained through this survey have been successfully used to provide evidence for additional resources addressing a variety of problem behaviors.
• Survey data can be used for both entitlement and competitive grant processes for schools and communities.
• Aggregated data can also be used by organizations across the state for competitive funding opportunities.
• With continuing participation, the information collected from this survey can be used to assess the performance of prevention and intervention efforts, as well as changes over time in the factors that affect the healthy development of Arizona’s youth.