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Grant Precedent

Free instruments

Tier 2 measures ask for a reported change. Each instrument below has a form you can link to and a license sentence quoted from its publisher. Check the quote before you rely on it.

Cleared instruments, best rights class first 9

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

Public domainLicense wording

“freely available; permission not required for use.”

The publisher or author says no permission is needed.

10 items2-3 min (estimated)

Youth; self-esteem

Scoring
Score positive statements 3-0 and negative statements 0-3; sum 0-30, higher = greater self-esteem.
Named by funders
NIH PhenX catalogue; no grant mandate verified.
Validity
Rosenberg, 1989; Gray-Little et al., 1997, item-response analysis.
Caveat
EN; Chinese. Measures global self-esteem, not mentoring quality or employment readiness.

General Self-Efficacy Scale, Schwarzer/Jerusalem

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“permission to use and reproduce the General Self-Efficacy Scale for your study”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

10 items4 min

Youth; coping confidence

Scoring
Sum ten responses, each 1-4: 10-40, higher = greater efficacy; no reverse coding.
Named by funders
None named in the sources opened.
Validity
Luszczynska, Scholz & Schwarzer, 2005; cross-cultural evidence summarized in author FAQ.
Caveat
EN; extensive translations. The author's permission explicitly addresses research studies; do not represent it as unrestricted permission for a commercial product.

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“Paper copies "without charge by individuals or non-profit organisations," subject to the owner's conditions. Electronic reproduction requires separate authorization; no unauthorized modification.”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

25 core items5-10 min (estimated)

Youth psychosocial functioning

Scoring
Five subscales 0-10. Total difficulties = four problem subscales, 0-40; prosocial score stays separate. Apply version-specific reverse coding.
Named by funders
No US grant mandate verified.
Validity
Goodman, 1997, J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38:581-586; DOI 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x. Original full text unverified.
Caveat
EN; many translations. Select the authorized 25-item, one-sided form. Impact supplements and administrative additions can push the administered packet above 30 items. Embedding it in software is a separate, paid-permission case (see the trap list).

Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“The MSPSS is free to use.”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

12 items3-4 min (estimated)

Youth; social support

Scoring
Mean all twelve 1-7 ratings; also calculate four-item Family, Friends, Significant Other means. Higher = more support.
Named by funders
None named in the sources opened.
Validity
Zimet et al., 1988, J Personality Assessment 52:30-41.
Caveat
EN; Spanish, Chinese, French and many other translations. The author asks users to credit Zimet and colleagues. The author states there are no established population norms; avoid inventing clinical cutoffs.

CRQ-A: four selected career-resource subscales

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“CC BY-NC 4.0: attribution and noncommercial use.”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

12, four validated 3-item subscales items3-5 min (estimated)

Youth employment preparation

Scoring
Mean each three-item subscale, 1-5; higher = more resource. No invented 12-item global total. Use Soft Skills, Career Confidence, Career Clarity, Self-Exploration.
Named by funders
The OJJDP-funded National Mentoring Resource Center identifies these four subscales.
Validity
Marciniak et al., 2021, J Career Assessment 29:164-180; two adolescent samples (author technical summary).
Caveat
EN verified. The complete CRQ-A has 36 items and fails the length rule; this entry concerns the named subscales only.

PALS Academic Efficacy subscale

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“non-commercial use”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

5 items1-2 min (estimated)

Academic confidence

Scoring
Mean five 1-5 responses; higher = stronger academic efficacy.
Named by funders
OJJDP-funded National Mentoring Resource Center resource, not an AmeriCorps or OJJDP reporting mandate.
Validity
Midgley et al., 2000, PALS manual; subscale reliability reported; original PALS validation references included.
Caveat
EN verified. NMRC states no cost. Use this established subscale (printed p. 20), not the entire manual's questionnaire collection. Confidence is not academic achievement.

Engagement versus Disaffection: Behavioral Engagement subscale

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“non-commercial use; no advance permission required.”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

5 items1-2 min (estimated)

Classroom engagement

Scoring
Mean five 1-4 ratings; higher = more behavioral engagement.
Named by funders
OJJDP-funded National Mentoring Resource Center resource, not a mandate.
Validity
Skinner, Kindermann & Furrer, 2009, Educational and Psychological Measurement 69:493-525; DOI 10.1177/0013164408323233.
Caveat
EN verified. Complete questions and response options are in the article appendix; there is no separate standalone PDF verified.

Revised Implicit Theories of Intelligence, Self scale

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“non-commercial use”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

8 items2-3 min (estimated)

Academic mindset

Scoring
Reverse four incremental-belief items; average eight 1-6 responses. Higher = stronger fixed-intelligence belief.
Named by funders
OJJDP-funded National Mentoring Resource Center resource, not a mandate.
Validity
De Castella & Byrne, 2015, European J Psychology of Education 30:245-267; DOI 10.1007/s10212-015-0244-y.
Caveat
EN verified. NMRC states no charge. Direction is easily reversed accidentally. Mindset change does not itself establish improved grades. Form is Appendix 1 of an author manuscript.

Hemingway School Connectedness subscale

Free, with conditionsLicense wording

“non-commercial use; no charge. Author requests review of terms and an acceptance email before use.”

Free to use under stated conditions; read the quoted license before using it.

6 items1-2 min (estimated)

School attachment

Scoring
Reverse the negatively worded school-boredom item; mean six 1-5 ratings, higher = greater connectedness.
Named by funders
OJJDP-funded National Mentoring Resource Center resource, not a mandate.
Validity
Karcher & Sass, 2010, J Counseling Psychology 57:274-289; DOI 10.1037/a0019357.
Caveat
EN; Spanish, French, Chinese. Use the school subscale and age-appropriate version; the full connectedness instrument is longer.

Looks free, is not 15

Each of these circulates widely and carries a licensing restriction. The wording is quoted from the publisher's page.