This report discusses the positive impact of the recent upgrade to the California Healthy Kids Survey Core Module. From the academic years 2021/22 to 2022/23, 10 new items were added, significantly expanding the coverage of student mental health and well-being. These improvements enable students to express their life satisfaction through the modified Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) and to communicate their experiences of emotional distress over the past month using the Social Emotional Distress Scale (SEDS).

This report on the California Student Wellness Index (CSWI), presents validation information from 700,000 California students, including comprehensive scoring, norming, and interpretation information. Additionally, the report demonstrates practical examples of using the CSWI for research to enhance Tier 1 Universal wellness screening and for Tier 2 individual student assessments and progress monitoring, providing hope for improved student well-being.