50 Student Survey Questions That Actually Get Honest Answers

Getting students to open up honestly in surveys is harder than it looks. A poorly worded question gets you shrugs and one-word answers. An overly complex question confuses elementary students. And a question that feels like a trap? Students will tell you exactly what they think you want to hear—which means you learn nothing useful.

The difference between survey questions that generate actionable insights and those that waste everyone's time comes down to design. Research from the Institute of Education Sciences shows that respondents are only willing to spend 7-10 minutes on any survey. For younger secondary students, that shrinks to about seven minutes. Every question needs to count.

This guide provides 50 research-backed student survey questions organized by category, plus the design principles that make them work. Whether you're a charter school administrator looking to improve retention, a private school head trying to strengthen culture, or an enrollment manager seeking early warning signals, these questions will help you capture what students are actually thinking—not what they think adults want to hear.

What Makes a Survey Question Effective?

Before diving into specific questions, it's worth understanding what separates questions that generate honest, useful responses from those that don't.

Clear, concrete language matters more than you think. Pew Research Center found that questions need to avoid ambiguity and define terms explicitly. If you ask students about "the future," specify what timeframe you mean: next month? Next semester? Next school year? Students interpret vague language differently, which undermines data quality.

Avoid double-barreled questions at all costs. Harvard's Program on Survey Research identifies these as a primary source of unusable data. A question like "Do you agree that schools should have better resources and longer lunch periods?" forces students to agree or disagree with two separate ideas. The result: you can't interpret what the answer actually means.

Eliminate double negatives. Research consistently shows these confuse respondents and reduce response accuracy. "Do you favor or oppose not closing the library early?" requires mental gymnastics. Rephrase as: "Do you favor or oppose keeping the library open until 5pm?"

Use age-appropriate vocabulary and structure. Elementary students need simpler phrasing and shorter questions than high school students. A question that works for 10th graders will overwhelm 3rd graders. The California School Climate Survey System creates separate versions—the elementary core survey contains "many of the same or similar items as the middle school version" but with "wording that is simpler and developmentally appropriate."

Choose response scales strategically. Psychological research indicates people have difficulty keeping more than 5-7 choices in mind at once. For elementary students, research supports 3-point scales (No/Sometimes/Yes or Disagree/Not Sure/Agree). For secondary students, 5-point Likert scales work well. The Institute of Education Sciences recommends crafting scales with only five possible answers unless additional detail is absolutely necessary.

Save sensitive questions for later in the survey. Hanover Research found that "questions involving bullying or harassment should follow screening questions and less serious subject matters to ease respondents into reflecting on potentially emotional topics." Students need to build trust before they'll share difficult experiences.

Belonging & Connectedness Questions (10 Questions)

Belonging questions reveal whether students feel they matter to their school community. Research from YouthTruth shows students scoring higher on belonging scales demonstrate 7.7 percentage points higher reading proficiency and 6.3 percentage points higher math proficiency at the high school level.

For All Grade Levels:

1. How much do you feel like you belong at this school?
   
   • Response scale: Not at all / A little / Some / Quite a bit / Very much
   • Why it works: Direct, concrete, uses simple language
2. How connected do you feel to the adults at your school?
   
   • Response scale: Not connected at all / Slightly connected / Somewhat connected / Very connected / Extremely connected
   • Why it works: "Connected" is developmentally appropriate for all ages
3. At school, is there an adult who you can talk to if you have a problem?
   
   • Response scale: Yes / Maybe / No
   • Why it works: Simple yes/maybe/no works well for elementary; can be expanded to Likert for secondary
4. How much support do the adults at your school give you?
   
   • Response scale: No support / A little support / Some support / Quite a bit / A lot of support
   • Why it works: Focuses on behavior (support) rather than feelings
5. Most students at this school are friendly to me.
   
   • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
   • Why it works: Peer relationships distinct from adult relationships

For Elementary Students:

6. When you are at school, do you feel like you belong?
   
   • Response scale: No / Sometimes / Yes
   • Why it works: 3-point scale appropriate for younger students
7. Can you be yourself with other students at school?
   
   • Response scale: No / Sometimes / Yes
   • Why it works: Assesses psychological safety in age-appropriate language

For Middle & High School Students:

8. If something good or bad happens to me, there are teachers here who would care.
   
   • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
   • Why it works: Tests perceived care, a key retention factor
9. How often do you feel like an outsider at your school?
   
   • Response scale: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always
   • Why it works: Frequency scale captures patterns rather than single incidents
10. Students at this school are accepting of differences.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Assesses inclusive culture without naming specific identities

Safety & Bullying Questions (10 Questions)

Safety questions must address both physical and emotional dimensions. Research from StopBullying.gov emphasizes using behavior-based questions rather than asking directly about "bullying"—younger children don't distinguish between bullying and fighting, and behavior-specific questions are more sensitive measures.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance research recommends that "the term bullying should be deliberately avoided when developing questionnaire items" because students conceptualize it differently. Instead, focus on specific behaviors.

For All Grade Levels:

11. How safe do you feel at this school?
    
    • Response scale: Not safe at all / Slightly safe / Somewhat safe / Very safe / Completely safe
    • Why it works: Direct measure of overall safety perception
12. How often are people disrespectful to others at your school?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always
    • Why it works: Frequency scale; "disrespectful" age-appropriate
13. When I'm feeling upset, there is an adult from school I can talk to.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Emotional safety distinct from physical
14. If a student is bullied at school, how easy is it for them to get help from an adult?
    
    • Response scale: Very difficult / Difficult / Neither / Easy / Very easy
    • Why it works: Assesses confidence in adult response

Behavior-Specific Bullying Questions:

15. In the past month, how often has another student made fun of you, called you names, or insulted you?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Once or twice / About once a week / Several times a week / Every day
    • Why it works: Specific behavior + defined timeframe + frequency scale
16. In the past month, how often has another student spread rumors or lies about you?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Once or twice / About once a week / Several times a week / Every day
    • Why it works: Captures indirect aggression often missed by physical bullying questions
17. In the past month, how often has another student purposely excluded you from activities?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Once or twice / About once a week / Several times a week / Every day
    • Why it works: Social exclusion is a form of bullying that behavior-based questions catch
18. In the past month, how often has another student threatened you or made you do things you didn't want to do?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Once or twice / About once a week / Several times a week / Every day
    • Why it works: Captures power imbalance and coercion

For Middle & High School (Cyberbullying):

19. In the past month, how often has another student bullied you online or through text messages?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Once or twice / About once a week / Several times a week / Every day
    • Why it works: Cyberbullying distinct from in-person; national data shows 22% of bullied students experience online component
20. Where do you feel least safe at school?
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: Identifies specific locations for intervention

Academic Engagement Questions (10 Questions)

Engagement questions identify students who are going through the motions without genuine connection to learning. The Tripod 7Cs framework found that teachers whose students rated them higher on "Challenge" produced 31% higher annual student learning gains.

For All Grade Levels:

21. I am learning a lot in my classes.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Measures perceived learning distinct from effort or enjoyment
22. My teachers make lessons interesting.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Tripod-validated question; interest predicts engagement
23. My teacher doesn't let people give up when the work gets hard.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Measures growth mindset support; "Challenge" dimension from Tripod
24. My teacher makes us explain our answers—why we think what we think.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Captures depth of learning; this specific phrasing from Tripod research
25. The work I do in class prepares me for the future I want.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Relevance is a key engagement factor

For Elementary Students:

26. I try my best in school.
    
    • Response scale: No / Sometimes / Yes
    • Why it works: Effort appropriate for elementary; simple scale
27. When I don't understand something, I ask for help.
    
    • Response scale: No / Sometimes / Yes
    • Why it works: Help-seeking behavior indicates psychological safety

For Middle & High School Students:

28. I am challenged academically in my classes.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Rigor matters for engagement; too easy is disengaging
29. When I'm in class, I feel like my teachers want me to be there.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Perceived teacher care correlates with engagement
30. How often do you feel bored in class?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always
    • Why it works: Frequency scale captures patterns; boredom is a disenrollment predictor

Teacher Relationship Questions (10 Questions)

These questions surface the interpersonal dynamics that profoundly influence student persistence. Research shows that student-teacher relationships are among the strongest predictors of student outcomes.

For All Grade Levels:

31. My teacher respects my ideas.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Respect is foundational; appropriate for all ages
32. My teacher seems to know when something is bothering me.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Measures attentiveness and emotional awareness
33. This teacher believes I can succeed.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: High expectations matter; belief predicts achievement
34. If you were upset when you came into class, how concerned would this teacher be?
    
    • Response scale: Not at all concerned / Slightly concerned / Somewhat concerned / Very concerned / Extremely concerned
    • Why it works: Validated question; measures emotional support
35. How excited would you be if you could have this teacher again next year?
    
    • Response scale: Not at all excited / Slightly excited / Somewhat excited / Very excited / Extremely excited
    • Why it works: Overall relationship quality in one question

For Elementary Students:

36. My teacher helps me when I need it.
    
    • Response scale: No / Sometimes / Yes
    • Why it works: Simple, concrete, behaviorally specific
37. My teacher listens to me.
    
    • Response scale: No / Sometimes / Yes
    • Why it works: Feeling heard is developmentally appropriate for elementary

For Middle & High School Students:

38. My teacher makes sure everyone participates in class.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Inclusive practices matter more at secondary level
39. My teacher gives me feedback that helps me improve.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Feedback quality, not just quantity
40. If this teacher could change one thing about their teaching, what should they change?
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: Constructive feedback; shows you value student voice

School Experience & Satisfaction Questions (10 Questions)

These questions capture overall satisfaction and the student experience holistically. They're particularly valuable for retention tracking in charter and private schools.

For All Grade Levels:

41. Overall, how satisfied are you with your school?
    
    • Response scale: Very dissatisfied / Dissatisfied / Neither / Satisfied / Very satisfied
    • Why it works: Simple overall metric; track over time
42. I am proud to be a student at this school.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Pride indicates identification with school community
43. My school cares about students.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Institutional care distinct from individual teacher care
44. How often do you look forward to coming to school?
    
    • Response scale: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always
    • Why it works: Anticipation is an engagement indicator
45. This school is preparing me for the future.
    
    • Response scale: Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neither / Agree / Strongly agree
    • Why it works: Future orientation matters for retention

For Middle & High School Students:

46. If you were to recommend this school to a friend, what would you say?
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: NPS-style question; reveals what students actually value
47. What is one thing you wish adults at this school understood about students?
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: Surfaces perspective gaps; builds empathy
48. What are two specific things this school could do to improve?
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: Actionable feedback; "specific" prevents vague answers
49. Describe a time when you felt truly supported by someone at school.
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: Positive stories reveal what's working; use for staff recognition
50. Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
    
    • Open-ended
    • Why it works: Catch-all for issues not covered; often surfaces surprises

Best Practices for Getting Honest Answers

Having great questions is only half the battle. Implementation determines whether students answer honestly.

Keep surveys appropriately brief. SurveyMonkey data shows that surveys with 10 questions have an 89% completion rate, while those with 40 questions drop to 79%. The median survey length is 12 questions. For younger students, aim for 7-10 minutes maximum (15-20 questions for elementary, 25-35 for middle, up to 40 for high school).

Place demographic questions at the end. Hanover Research found that asking students to disclose gender, race, or ethnicity early in the survey "may illicit an unconscious review of their community experiences, instead of their individual experiences." Save demographics for last.

Use forced-choice questions, not "select-all-that-apply." Pew Research Center's 2019 study found that forced-choice questions "tend to yield more accurate responses, especially for sensitive questions." Radio buttons, not checkboxes.

Provide neutral options. The Institute of Education Sciences recommends including a neutral option (Neither agree nor disagree / Not sure) to "identify whether respondents feel neither positive nor negative about a topic." Students who are forced to pick a side when they don't have an opinion will provide less accurate data.

Enable "not applicable" responses. Give students the ability to opt out when questions don't apply to their experience. This is particularly important for questions about specific teachers or programs.

Explain purpose clearly. Students respond more honestly when they believe their feedback matters and will lead to action. Frame surveys as "progress reports for teachers and the school" rather than tests or evaluations.

Consider confidential rather than anonymous. As we discussed in our complete guide to student perception surveys, research shows confidential surveys (where schools can identify students for follow-up but protect privacy) don't reduce honesty compared to anonymous surveys—and they enable intervention when students disclose safety concerns or disengagement. This is particularly important for schools using surveys as early warning systems.

Age-Appropriate Question Design

What works for high schoolers confuses elementary students, and what engages 3rd graders bores 11th graders.

Elementary (K-5) best practices:

• Use 3-point scales (No/Sometimes/Yes or Disagree/Not Sure/Agree)
• Keep questions to 8-12 words maximum
• Use present tense and active voice
• For grades K-2, read questions aloud; don't expect independent reading
• Include visual scales when possible (emoji faces work well)
• Test reading level; aim for 2nd grade vocabulary for 3rd graders

Middle School (6-8) best practices:

• Expand to 5-point Likert scales
• Questions can be 12-15 words
• Students can handle more abstract concepts like "fairness" and "respect"
• Mix question types to maintain engagement
• Can ask about future goals and aspirations
• Often most hesitant to share feelings; reassurance about confidentiality critical

High School (9-12) best practices:

• Full 5-point scales with descriptive anchors
• Can ask complex, multi-dimensional questions
• Open-ended questions yield rich detail
• Can assess school's role in college/career preparation
• Students can evaluate teaching practices more specifically
• Most sophisticated vocabulary and concepts

How Ebby Captures These Questions (and More) Through Pulse Check-Ins

Creating effective survey questions is just the beginning. The questions above represent research-backed approaches for capturing student voice—but they work best when they're asked frequently enough to catch problems early, and monitored in real-time so schools can respond before students disenroll.

Traditional annual survey platforms ask many of these questions once a year, batch-process responses over weeks, and deliver results months after students answered. By then, disengaged students may have already left.

Ebby takes a different approach: pulse check-ins, not annual surveys. Our platform includes research-backed questions across all these categories—belonging, safety, engagement, teacher relationships, and satisfaction—but asks them in brief, frequent touchpoints throughout the year rather than in one overwhelming annual assessment.

The questions on Ebby's platform are designed specifically for honest responses:

• Age-appropriate phrasing for elementary, middle, and high school students
• Validated response scales (3-point for younger students, 5-point for secondary)
• Behavior-specific safety questions that catch concerning patterns
• Mix of Likert-scale and open-ended questions
• Brief enough (7-10 minutes) to avoid survey fatigue

AI + human analysis means nuance doesn't get lost: When students submit responses, Ebby's AI sentiment analysis processes them immediately, categorizing the ~95% of straightforward feedback efficiently. But for the critical 5%—the indirect signals, the concerning patterns, the context-dependent responses—trained human reviewers provide the judgment that research shows AI consistently misses.

Real-time monitoring enables same-day response: Unlike annual surveys that take weeks to process, Ebby flags concerning responses immediately. When a student indicates they're feeling unsafe, unheard, or disconnected, school staff see alerts the same day. This meets professional standards for responding to safety disclosures and enables intervention while it can still help.

Confidential (not anonymous) design supports follow-up: Because Ebby helps schools identify individual students who need support, administrators can reach out to at-risk students rather than just looking at aggregate statistics. This design choice reflects research showing that confidential surveys don't reduce honesty while enabling the personalized intervention that improves retention.

Whether you use these 50 questions in your own surveys or explore how Ebby delivers them through pulse check-ins, the principle is the same: student feedback only matters if it's honest, timely, and actionable. Get the questions right, ask them at the right frequency, and respond quickly—that's how schools turn student voice into improved retention and stronger culture.

Ready to Put These Questions to Work?

The difference between survey questions that sit in a report and questions that drive real change comes down to three things: how you ask, when you ask, and what you do with the answers.

This guide gives you the questions charter and private schools are using to capture honest student feedback. The research-backed phrasing, age-appropriate response scales, and strategic organization by category make these questions ready to deploy.

But remember: asking students once a year in a 50-question survey creates fatigue and delays intervention. The most effective schools ask fewer questions, more frequently, with systems that enable same-day response.

Want to see how pulse check-ins capture student voice without survey fatigue? Ebby helps charter and private schools ask the right questions at the right time, with AI + human analysis that catches disengagement signals before students leave. Visit www.ebbyk12.com to learn more.

‍