State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Arntzen Reminds Schools to Register for the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
HELENA – Online registration for the 32nd Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is open. All schools that wish to participate must register via the new online portal this year. The YRBS was first conducted in 1991 with a select number of Montana high school students and is now offered to:
- public high schools
- alternative high schools
- non-public high schools
- middle schools
In the time that the survey has been administered, OPI has been able to aggregate data on health behaviors and risk concerns that our Montana students face. This data has helped to drive decisions to provide the best education and training for teachers and support staff on mental health outcomes in Montana schools.
“As adults, we must recognize all student voices,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The opportunity to participate in this survey gives our schools special insights into the well-being of all students. I encourage all of our Montana public and private schools to register for this important survey.”
The YRBS helps Montana schools understand the continual mental health issues facing our students and how to improve outcomes. The survey is crucial for conducting needs-based assessments for:
- program development
- long-range planning for the school and community
- curriculum revision
In 2021, 98% of all school districts, and 22,576 students in grades 7 through 12 completed the survey.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) targets specific schools throughout the country to participate in the YRBS. Montana is the only state that offers all schools the chance to participate in the survey. This valuable data is used to make comparisons to state and national data, which can create funding and grant opportunities. The information is utilized by other state and county agencies to determine the health of the adolescents in the schools.
Registration for the 2023 YRBS can be found here.
For more information, please contact Genie Zeeck at Genie.Zeeck@mt.gov.
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