Instruments
Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS)
PALS is used to investigate the relationship between a student's learning environment and their affect, motivation, and behavior. It consists of both a student scale and a teacher scale. The student scale investigates personal achievement goal orientations, perceptions of teacher goals, perceptions of the goal structures in the classroom, achievement related beliefs, and perceptions of parents and home life. The teacher scale investigates perceptions of goal structures in the school, goal-related approaches to instruction, and personal teaching efficacy.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Positive Youth Development Sustainability Scale (PYDSS)
This scale is meant to be used as a self-reporting tool to assess the impacts of positive youth development programs. These programs are meant to provide opportunities for youth to increase their skills, abilities, and interests in positive activities. This scale was created for both domestic and international use. This scale was based on the PYDI (Arnold et al) but adjusted with items removed and a construct to measure happiness added.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales - 2nd Edition (PKBS-2)
The Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales-Second Edition (PKBS-2) is a behavior rating scale designed for use with children ages 3 through 6 years. This unique behavior rating scale is easy to use, very practical, and based on a solid foundation of research. With 76 items on two separate scales, it provides an integrated and functional appraisal of the social skills and problem behaviors of young children. The scales can be completed by a variety of behavioral informants, such as parents, teachers, and other caregivers.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade
Preservice Teacher Feedback Survey
The Preservice Teacher Feedback Survey measures beliefs about classroom feedback practices and confidence in giving feedback to students. The measure is designed for use by preservice teachers to assess the extent to which their beliefs and confidence in giving feedback align with research on quality feedback. The measure has been used as a pre- and post-test to assess the effects of initial teacher education courses on assessment.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
REACH (Relationships) Survey
This survey is a measure of social, emotional, and other factors on a student's motivation to learn. It can be used to capture a one-time snapshot of academic motivation drivers, or can be administered multiple times to assess change in students' motivation and strengths over time.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET)
RESET is a special education teacher observation system that includes observation protocols aligned with evidence-based instructional practices for students with high-incidence disabilities.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP)
The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) is an observational instrument that can be used to assess the degree to which mathematics or science instruction in grades K-12 is “reformed”. Trained observers rate teachers' instruction across three domains: Lesson Design and Implementation; Content; Classroom Culture. Possible scores range from 0 to 100 points, with higher scores reflecting a greater degree of use of reform-based instructional practices.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy (SEE)
Self-report instrument that measures empathy toward people of racial and ethnic backgrounds different from one’s own. SEE is composed of three instrumental aspects: intellectual empathy, empathic emotions, and the communication of these perspectives to others via word or action. These resolve into three constructs: Empathic expression; empathic perspective-taking; acceptance of cultural differences.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
School Implementation Climate Scale (SICS)
The School Implementation Climate Scale (SICS) assesses the school’s climate with regard to the strategic implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP). The scale examines seven constructs: focus on EBP, educational support for EBP, recognition for EBP, rewards for EBP, use of data to support EBP, existing supports to deliver EBP, and integration of EBP. SICS items are Likert-scale ranging from 0 (“not at all”) to 4 ("very great extent").
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade
School Implementation Leadership Scale (SILS)
The School Implementation Leadership Scale (SILS) quantifies implementation leadership focusing on behaviors supporting or inhibiting the implementation of evidence-based practices in schools. SILS subscales examine proactive leadership, knowledgeable leadership, supportive leadership, perseverant leadership, communication, vision, and availability to support the implementation of evidence-based practices. SILS uses five-point Likert-scale items with responses ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (to a very great extent.)
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade
School Social Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (SSBS-2)
The School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS) are sold by Brookes Publishing and measure social competence and antisocial behavior (with 32 items measuring each). They are filled out by teachers and evaluated by psychologists, and are meant to be accompanied by the Home & Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS)--to be completed by a parent or other adult the student knows well--for a complete assessment.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Science Discourse Instrument
The Science Discourse Instrument (SDI) is an observation tool and rubric used to evaluate the quality of discussions in science classrooms. There are six categories for observation in the SDI, which are considered essential to strong discourse in science classrooms, three of the categories focus on teachers and three focus on students. The categories for teachers are: asking open ended questions; pressing for explanation; and linking discussions. The categories for students are: explanation of ideas; co-constructing ideas with peers; and critiquing the reasoning of others.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI)
The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) can be used to measure science teachers’ self-efficacy and outcome expectancy across all levels of teaching. The STEBI-A is the version recommended for use with in-service teachers; the STEBI-B is the version recommended for use with pre-service teachers.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
SELweb
SELweb is an online, performance-based social-emotional learning (SEL) assessment system designed to measure social thinking skills and peer relationships.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade
Situational Test of Emotion Management
The Situational Test of Emotion Management is an open-source, performance-based multiple choice test that measures how well one is able to manage their emotions. It was developed in combination with the Situational Test of Emotional Understanding. Both long and short forms are available, as well as an 11-item form appropriate for youth ages 11-15 and their parents called the STEM-Y.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2)
The Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) measures the presence and severity of social impairment within the autism spectrum. Parents, teachers, or other observers evaluate social ability in various natural settings for children between 2.5 and 18 years using age-appropriate forms with 65 Likert-scale items. Four forms are available: pre-school (2.5-4.5 years), school-age (4-18 years), adult (19+), and adult self-report. SRS-2 has 5 subscales: social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. The total continuous score indicates the severity of social deficits in the autism spectrum.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Neurodiversity
Grades: < 3 Years, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Social Skills Improvement System, Social-Emotional Learning Edition (SSIS SEL)
The Social Skills Improvement System-Social Emotional Learning Edition (SSIS SEL) is sold through Pearson and measures a variety of social and emotional competencies using both norm and criterion referencing. There are both digital and paper versions which can be completed by students, parents, or teachers. There is also a brief version of the form.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ)
The Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) is a 16-item self-report behavior rating scale for measuring youths' school-specific wellbeing. The SSWQ is comprised of four subscales: (1) Joy of Learning, (2) School Connectedness, (3) Educational Purpose, and (4) Academic Efficacy. Subscale scores can be used as standalone wellbeing indicators or summed to create a Overall Student Wellbeing composite scale. The SSWQ was developed with a sample of 6-8th graders, and a college version is also available.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, Post secondary
Survey of Teacher Practice (STeP)
STeP is a tool that allows instructors to be evaluated by their students across a set of categories identified as critical for effective classroom instruction. Two optional open-ended questions are also included at the end allowing students to provide additional input that may not be fully captured in the body of the survey.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS)
The 20-Item Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS) is a unidimensional self-report inventory of teachers' multicultural awareness and sensitivity. The survey analyzes teachers' multicultural awareness, appreciation, and tolerance.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade
The Bridge-Positive Youth Development (Bridge-PYD)
The Bridge-Positive Youth Development measure is an open-source, 40-item Likert survey initially validated using responses from 7-18-year-old children in a community-based after school program in Denver, CO. It uses a resilience-based framework incorporating the 5 Cs: Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring/Compassion.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade
The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA)
A revised version of the ERQ, the ERQ-CA is meant to be used in non-adult samples. Revision of the ERQ visible in the ERQ-CA include simplification of item wording and a switch from a 7-point Likert scale to a 5-point Likert scale.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Flourishing Children Project (FCP)
The Flourishing Children Project, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, has constructed 20 scales based on a nationally representative sample to measure different dimensions of personal flourishing. The scales are open access, and many offer versions for both adolescents (ages 12-18) and parents. The scales fall into 5 categories: Personal Flourishing, Flourishing in School and Work, Flourishing in Relationships, Relationship Skills, and Environmental Stewardship.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Hemingway Measure of Adolescent Connectedness
The full 78-item Hemingway includes 15 ecological subscales measuring three domains of adolescent connectedness - connectedness to self, connectedness to others, and connectedness to society.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Motivation and Engagement Scale Junior (MES-J)
Created along the Motivation and Engagement Wheel, the Motivation and Engagement Scale consists of eleven motivation and engagement subscales congruent with the eleven first-order factors in the Wheel (i.e., self-efficacy, valuing, mastery orientation, planning, task management, persistence, anxiety, failure avoidance, uncertain control, self-handicapping, and disengagement). The eleven subscales can be separated into four major groups representing the four higher-order motivation and engagement factors (i.e., adaptive cognition, adaptive behaviour, impeding cognition, and maladaptive behaviour). Each of the eleven MES subscales comprises four items—hence, the MES is a 44-item instrument. To respond to the MES, a 5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), is provided. An 11 item short form is also available.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
The Social Skills Q-Sort (SSQ)
The Social Skills Q-Sort (SSQ) is an instrument quantifying a child’s comprehensive social skills profile using 100 descriptive cards. Observers sort the SSQ cards into 9 piles (from least characteristic in pile 1 to most characteristic in pile 9).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade
The Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS)
The Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS) were developed at the University of Oregon and are sold by Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR). They measure responsibility, self regulation, social competence, and empathy, and contain both long and short forms for K-12 students, parents, and teachers. The forms are often used for progress monitoring and program evaluations. PAR sells the forms in English and Spanish, and they have also been translated into Chinese and Portuguese.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Assessment Suite (TEIQue)
The TEIQue is a scientific measurement instrument based exclusively on trait EI theory and providing a comprehensive assessment of the emotional world of the individual. The TEIQue is predicated on trait EI theory, which conceptualises emotional intelligence as a personality trait, located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. Several version of the TEIQue are available.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3)
UCLA Loneliness Scale-3 is an instrument measuring self-reported subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Its 20 items use a Likert-type rating scale ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (always).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Mental Health
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Assessment Scale (VADRS)
The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) measures how severe the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are and helps diagnose other common conditions comorbid with ADHD in children aged 6-12. There are two versions of VADRS: the parent form and the teacher form. Both versions include all 18 criteria for ADHD from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Neurodiversity
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade
VIA Youth Survey
The Values in Action Youth Survey (VIA Youth Survey) is an open-access Likert survey for children ages 10-17 measuring 24 character strengths within the broad categories Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, Transcendence, and Wisdom. It has both a 96- and 198- item version, and it has been adapted into many other languages and shorter forms. Values in Action also makes adult character strength surveys and other assessments for younger children such as the Character Strengths Inventory for Children (CSI-C) and the Character Strengths Inventory for Early Childhood (CSI-EC) for children ages 7-12 and 3-6, respectively.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Third Edition (Vineland-3)
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Third Edition (Vineland-3) is an instrument for diagnosing intellectual and developmental disabilities and planning treatment. Vineland-3 focuses on the following domains of adaptive behavior: 1) communication, 2) daily living skills, and 3) socialization. Vineland-3 offers the Survey Interview Form for conducting semi-structured interviews with parents or caregivers, the Parent/Caregiver Rating Forms questionnaire (can be used for all ages), and the Teacher Rating Form (can be used for ages 3-21).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Neurodiversity
Grades: < 3 Years, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Washoe County School District Social and Emotional Competency Assessments (WCSD-SECAs)
The Washoe County School District Social and Emotional Competency Assessments (WCSD-SECAs) are free, open-source instruments that measure the self-reported social and emotional competencies of students in grades 5-12. The WCSD-SECA instruments were developed through a collaboration among WCSD, the Collaborative for Academic and Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), and the University of Illinois at Chicago through an Institute of Education Sciences Research-Practitioner Partnership grant.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Youth Purpose Scale/Claremont Purpose Scale
This scale measures three dimensions of purpose: goal directedness, personal meaning, and beyond-the-self orientation. Purpose is operationalized by the developers of the scale as a long-term, forward looking intention to accomplish meaningful aims. Each of the 12 items has a Likert style response, but the scale items are unique to each question causing a slower response time which can lead to a more accurate measure.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
ZooU
ZooU is a game/performance based SEL assessment tool for students in grades 2 - 4. It is published and sold by Centervention, which also publishes other game-based assessments Zoo Academy (grades K-1), SS Grin (grades 3-5) Hall of Heroes (grades 6-8), and Stories in Motion (for K-5 students with autism).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Social-Emotional Competence
Grades: 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade