This year Old Rochester Regional students will take a new survey to address risky behaviors.

The Communities That Care Youth Survey, said Marion Town Nurse Kathy Downey, goes “hand in hand” with the Youth Risk Behavior Survey that ORR students took a few years ago. That survey asked students to answer questions on risky behaviors they engaged in, from drug use to bike helmet use.

The Communities That Care survey “looks at the risk factors and the protective factors – the things that make kids more inclined to do these risky behaviors and the things that protect kids from doing these risky behaviors,” Downey said.

Questions include: “Have you ever smoked cigarettes?” “About how many adults have you known personally who in the past year have sold or dealt drugs?” “In the past year, how may of your best friends have regularly attended religious services?”

The anonymous surveys will identify issues so faculty can deal with social and emotional needs at ORR, according to administrators. The idea is that the two surveys will be offered on alternating years, said Superintendent Doug White, so we “could see if instruction and support is actually getting a better result.”

Funds from the Marion-Rochester Health District and the Mattapoisett Board of Health will likely pay for the funds, and they will help administer the new survey, which takes about 20 minutes to complete.

The School Committee was in favor of the survey, but also discussed how to get the best participation.

For the previous survey, parents had to opt out if they didn’t want their child to participate. Since then, a policy was put in place that requires parents to give “active consent.”

That practice would not give useful results, however, Downey said.

“It will be skewed in a way that is not really interpretable,” she said.

White said the subcommittee will look at the issue and the School Committee can vote on it at the upcoming Joint School Committee meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22.