By Eagle News Staff
The Oregon Health Authority conducts an annual Student Health Survey of sixth, eighth and 11th grade students in Oregon public schools. According to the OHA, the surveys are designed to address student health and safety, student mental and behavioral health, school climate and culture, and the impact of COVID-19.
The sixth grade Student Health Survey is 32 pages long and has 76 questions. The eighth grade survey is 41 pages long and has 109 questions. The 11th grade survey is 46 pages long and has 125 questions.
Grants Pass School District 7 conducted this survey earlier this fall. In an email to the Eagle, District 7 Communications and Public Relations Specialist Kristin Hosfelt described the process at District 7:
“Every parent was given advanced notice of the survey, as well as a digital copy of the survey questions to review. We also made copies of the survey available at the offices for those who preferred a hard copy. Students also had the opportunity to opt out of participating.”
Hosfelt continued: “No parents opted their students out at the high school. A total of 35 parents opted their sixth or eighth graders out. A total of 1,026 students did participate.”
Three Rivers School District will conduct the survey between Dec. 7 and 15.
Parents can preview these surveys online to determine the appropriateness for their children and may opt out of having their children take the anonymous surveys.
The Oregon Health Authority has an SHS Fact Sheet for parents, which can be found here: healthoregon.org/shs
The Eagle showed the Student Health Survey to a local mother to get her comments. She did not want to be identified by name. Here are her thoughts on the survey:
“Wow, those surveys were pretty shocking. Obviously, they are not age appropriate, though they do gradually ask for more detail on topics such as sex, drugs, marijuana, vaping, and alcohol for the older grades. I am glad to see that parents are given the option to opt their child out of taking it; however, I don’t know how many parents will look into the survey enough to see that it is inappropriate.
“The whole survey is very invasive and has nothing to do with school. Asking a child if he has had 100% fruit juice recently and if they are suicidal or have been sexually assaulted really has no place in the school. I know those are very different things, but why does the school need to know if a child is drinking juice or not? It also asks about self-harm. In sixth grade many kids don’t know that others may harm themselves on purpose.”
Here is a selection of questions this mom highlighted as particularly inappropriate. Her comments are added.
Sixth grade survey:
“A series of questions ask students about terms most parents cannot define,” the local mom noted. “Yet curious sixth grade students can discover what they mean with an online search. What will they find?”
#13. What is your gender identity? You can choose more than one.
- Two Spirit (show only if identify as American Indian/Alaska Native)
- Girl/Woman
- Boy/Man
- Demigirl/Demiboy
- Nonbinary
- Gender fluid
- Agender/No gender
#14 Are you transgender?
- Yes
- No
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
#15 What is your sexual orientation?
- Lesbian or gay
- Straight
- Bisexual
- Pansexual
- Asexual or Aromantic
- Queer
- Something else that fits better
- I am not sure of my sexual orientation
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
#29 Is there a student group or space at school where you can meet with other students who identify with or are like you? (e.g., gay/queer/straight alliance/affinity group, BIPOC, etc.)
- Yes
- No
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
Eighth Grade Survey
The 8th grade survey includes questions from the sixth grade survey along with additional questions.
States the survey introduction: “Suicide affects us all. More people die by suicide than car accidents each year, and firearms are the most common way that people take their own lives. The next question will help us learn more about safety and gun access.”
52. How long would it take you to get and be ready to fire a gun? The gun could be yours or someone else’s.
- I could not get a gun
- Less than 10 minutes
- Less than 1 hour
- Less than 24 hours
- 24 or more hours
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
“Despite being an anonymous survey,” the mother stated, “such invasive questions get eighth graders thinking about premarital sex. It should be up to parents to talk to their children about sex when they are ready, not the school.”
#71 How old were you the first time you had sex or sexual contact?
- 11 years or younger
- 12 years old (goes up to 17 years old or older for an 8th grade survey)
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
#72. The last time you had sex or sexual contact, what method(s) did you or your partner use to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections? You can choose more than one.
- I have never had sexual contact that could lead to pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection
- Condom or other barrier method
- Birth control pills
- Contraceptive implant (Implanon or Nexplanon)
- Contraceptive patch
- Contraceptive ring
- Depo‐Provera (injectable birth control)
- Emergency contraception (morning after pill)
- IUD (intrauterine device such as Mirena or Paragard)
- Withdrawal
- Some other method
- No method was used to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
#73. During the last school year, were you taught in school about how to use a condom to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV?
- Yes
- No
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
#74 During the last school year, were you taught in school about how to use birth control methods or where to get birth control?
- Yes
- No
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
The survey asks a series of questions about illicit drug and alcohol usage and the level of consumption.
#81 How old were you when you had your first drink of alcohol other than a few sips?
- I have never had a drink of alcohol other than a few sips
- 12 years old or younger
- 13 years old
- 14 years old (to 17 years old or older)
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
#84 How old were you when you tried marijuana for the first time?
- I have never tried marijuana
- 12 years old or younger
- 13 years old (to 17 years old or older)
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking (Skip to Q87)
- I prefer not to answer
#88 During the past 30 days, have you used any drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, shrooms, heroin, fentanyl or meth?
- Yes
- No
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
11th Grade Survey
The 11th grade survey includes questions from the sixth and eighth grade surveys along with additional questions.
#78 Thinking about the education you received during the last school year about healthy and respectful relationships, were LGBTQ2SIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two‐spirit, intersex or asexual) identities included in any of your classroom instruction?
- Yes, LGBTQ2SIA+ identities were included in our classes
- No, LGBTQ2SIA+ identities were not included in our classes
- I am not sure
- I don’t know what this question is asking
- I prefer not to answer
Here are additional questions on the 11th grade survey. Answers not shown due to space limitations.
#82 Has someone you were dating, hooking up, hanging out or going out with ever used your phone, social media or other technology to control or monitor you or shame or embarrass you with something you shared privately?
#100 During the past 30 days, did you use prescription opioid drugs such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, or Codeine without a doctor’s orders or differently than how a doctor told you to use it?
Final comment on the surveys: “YIKES! If I had my kids in public school, even in 11th grade, they would not be taking this survey. The entire thing is quite invasive as I mentioned earlier.”