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    Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

    Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)

    Since 1989, the Commonwealth has conducted a survey of school students in the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grades to learn about their behavior, attitudes and knowledge concerning alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence. 

    Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)

    The Pennsylvania Youth Survey, or PAYS, is sponsored and conducted every two years by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The data gathered in PAYS serve two primary needs.

    1. The results provide school administrators, state agency directors, legislators and others with critical information concerning the changes in patterns of the use and abuse of these harmful substances and behaviors.
    2. The survey assesses risk factors that are related to these behaviors and the protective factors that help guard against them. This information allows community leaders to direct prevention resources to areas where they are likely to have the greatest impact.
    Questions about PAYS?

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    PAYS Resources

    The PAYS was administered during the fall of the 2023/24 school year.  Local Summary Reports presenting the results were sent to the Superintendents of participating school districts and private/charter schools in April 2024.

    2023 PAYS Full Details Report​ (PDF) - An in-depth analysis of the 2023 State results, including breakdowns by gender for certain metrics.

    Highlights from the 2023 PAYS Rep​ort (PDF) - A snapshot of some of the information included in the State Report that can be used to take action at the state, county, school district, and local levels.​

    Comparison of Data from our Rural and Urban School Districts - A comparison of the PAYS results for rural and urban communities in Pennsylvania. 

    PAYS County Early Reports - These county-level reports provide an early snapshot of the results from the survey so that they can begin to act upon it. Only those counties that took part in the survey online and who had a minimum of two participating districts have a report available. If a district within a county took part via paper/pencil, those results are not included in the earlt county reports. Additionally, please note that this is meant to be preliminary data; there may be some slight changes in the final number report in the Full Summary Reports.

    *Note: ​​The following updates have been made to county reports since the initial release:

    • ​​​​​​July 2024: Text corrections were made on pages 12, 70 and 73 of the 2023 County Reports
    • August 2024: Correction made to pages 64 and 111 of the 2023 County Reports for perception of parental/caregiver disapproval to swap the “drink beer, wine, or hard liquor regularly" and “ have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day" headings in tables/chart

    ​​PAYS User Guide and Worksheet – This guide and accompanying worksheets can help you understand what your youth are saying and how to use that information to take action.

    PAYS Online Data Tool – This online tool allows you to conduct crosstab analyses at the county and state levels to look deeper into the interaction between PAYS data results. 

    PAYS Training Video

    Register your School District/School for the 2023 PAYS - Registration for the PAYS is conducted online.

    View which School Districts are Registered for the 2023 PAYS - Wiew a list of school districts who are registered in real-time.  As a school district registers, this list is updated.

    PAYS FAQ- This document contains answers to many of the frequently asked questions about this survey.

    PAYS Factsheet - Timeline for the 2023 PAYS administration, as well as some quick facts about the survey.

    Information for Parents - Information about the 2023 survey for parents whose children in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades will be offered the chance to take part.

    Information for Schools and their Community Partners - Information about the 2023 survey for schools and their community partners who are interested in participating in the survey. 

    Training Webinars for 2023 PAYS Administration: These training webinars have been developed to assist the Survey Coordinator at each District/School with the smooth administration of the survey.

    Slides to Accompany the Survey Coordinator Training Webinar

    Survey Coordinator Training Instructions (Online and Paper) - These guides provide a brief synopsis of the process coordinators should follow when administering the survey.

    Passive Consent Template (English) - An example of a passive consent letter that can be provided to parents to opt their child out of the survey

    Passive Consent Template (Spanish) - An example of a passive consent letter that can be provided to parents to opt their child out of the survey.

    Passive Consent Parental Request Tracking Form - Forms for schools to track parental requests for their child not to participate in the survey.

    Proctor Script Instructions (Online): Instructions for how the classroom proctor should administer the survey and the text that should be read to all students before beginning the survey.

    Proctor Script Instructions (Paper/Pencil): Instructions for how the classroom proctor should administer the survey and the text that should be read to all students before beginning the survey.