The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has funded the administration of the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) biennially since 1990. The IYS is a self-report survey administered in school settings and is designed to gather information about a variety of health and social indicators including substance use and perceptions, bullying, school climate, nutrition, and physical activity.

The administration of the IYS has two major goals:

     1. To supply local data to schools and school districts throughout Illinois. During state-funded survey years (e.g., 2018, 2020, etc.), the survey is available to all eligible public and private schools in the state at no cost. Each participating school is eligible to receive a report specific to their own students' responses. These local reports provide critical information to school administrators, prevention professionals, and community members as they work to address substance abuse issues in their communities. 

      2. To provide a scientific estimate of health and social indicators for the state of Illinois. The scientific estimate is based on drawing a random sample to represent the state population of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in Illinois public schools.