Here are some of the best questions for a middle school student survey about dress code policy, plus practical tips for crafting your own. If you want to build a survey like this in seconds, you can generate one instantly with Specific—an effortless way to get authentic feedback from students.
Best open-ended questions for a middle school student survey about dress code policy
Open-ended questions unlock deeper stories and honest reflections—essential for understanding how students really feel. They’re perfect when you want detailed insights, new ideas, or true opinions, instead of just box-ticking. Especially with topics like dress codes, these give students a chance to share their experiences in their own words.
How would you describe the current dress code at your school?
How does the dress code affect how you feel at school each day?
Can you share an experience where the dress code impacted you personally?
What do you think is fair or unfair about the dress code?
Are there parts of the dress code that you would change? Why?
How does the dress code make it easier or harder for you to express yourself?
In your opinion, what is the main purpose of the school’s dress code?
Do you think the rules in the dress code are clear to everyone? Why or why not?
Have you ever seen or felt that the dress code applies differently to different students? Tell us more.
What advice would you give school leaders about improving the dress code for students?
Open responses like these have helped schools discover that about 59% of dress codes contain rules about hairstyles that disproportionately impact Black students—something many would have missed in closed-ended surveys. [1]
Best single-select multiple-choice questions for a middle school student survey about dress code policy
Single-select multiple-choice questions shine when you want quick stats or to jump-start a conversation. They're easier for students to answer, reduce survey fatigue, and let you quantify trends—useful if you want to compare responses across grades or spot patterns quickly.
Question: How well do you feel you understand your school's dress code rules?
Completely
Mostly
A little
Not at all
Question: How often do you think about the dress code when getting ready for school?
Every day
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Question: Which part of the dress code feels the most strict or difficult for you?
Shirts/tops requirements
Pants/shorts/skirts rules
Rules about shoes
Rules about hairstyles
Other
When to follow up with “why?” Use follow-up “why” questions after any answer that leaves you needing more context. For example, if a student selects “Rules about hairstyles,” ask: “Can you share more about why the hairstyle rules feel strict?” That’s how you turn a bland statistic into a meaningful insight—and open up discussion on issues like the disproportionate impact of certain dress codes on Black students. [1]
When and why to add the “Other” choice? Always include “Other” if you can’t guarantee every possible answer fits your options. The follow-up reveals surprises: students might highlight overlooked dress code issues or share emerging trends you hadn’t considered.
Should you use NPS questions in a middle school student dress code survey?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) isn’t just for business—it’s a simple way to measure “Would you recommend our school’s dress code to another student?” This zero-to-ten rating helps you spot whether students broadly accept or resist your dress code, and tracks sentiment over time. NPS-style questions can quickly reveal policy friction or satisfaction across grade levels. You can generate an NPS survey for dress code policy in seconds using Specific—no guesswork required.
The power of follow-up questions
To truly learn how dress codes affect middle schoolers, you need more than just top-level stats. That’s where follow-up questions come in. Smart, AI-powered follow-ups (like those in Specific’s automatic AI follow-up feature) build on every answer to dig deeper, clarify, and surface unexpected insights. They work in real time—like an expert interviewer would—so every student has the chance to fully explain their thoughts.
Middle school student: “Sometimes I feel uncomfortable in what I have to wear.”
AI follow-up: “Can you share what particular clothing rule makes you feel uncomfortable?”
How many followups to ask? Typically, 2–3 follow-up questions are enough to uncover root causes or actionable feedback. You want depth, but not fatigue. In Specific’s editor, it’s easy to set limits and let students skip to the next topic once you’ve got what you need.
This makes it a conversational survey—not a sterile questionnaire. The back-and-forth feels natural, making students more likely to share honest experiences and nuanced perspectives.
AI response analysis makes insights easy. No need to dread sorting through walls of open-text answers—Specific lets you analyze survey responses with AI, summarizing every story into clear, actionable takeaways, even for unstructured feedback.
These advanced, AI-driven follow-up features are a new standard in feedback—try creating a survey with them to experience how much deeper your insights go.
How to prompt ChatGPT or AI for excellent questions on dress code policy surveys
If you want to use AI (like ChatGPT) for writing your own survey, start by being clear and direct. Here’s a solid starting prompt:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for middle school student survey about dress code policy.
But you’ll get even better results by offering context about your school or goals. For example:
I work in a diverse middle school where students have raised concerns about fairness in the dress code. Please suggest 10 open-ended survey questions for students to give honest feedback on the dress code, including its clarity, fairness, and how it affects them personally.
Next, ask the AI to sort your questions:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
Once you see themes (e.g., “fairness” or “self-expression”), you can dig deeper:
Generate 10 questions focused on student self-expression and how the dress code impacts it.
What is a conversational survey?
A conversational survey is feedback research that feels more like a natural chat than a formal form. Every question is part of a back-and-forth exchange, with real-time probing and clarification—making it way easier for middle school students to express themselves honestly.
Here’s a quick look at how AI-generated surveys compare to manual survey creation:
Manual Surveys | AI-Generated Surveys (with Specific) |
|---|---|
Manual question writing and logic setup | Instantly generated with smart prompts |
Limited/no automated follow-ups | Dynamic follow-up probing for every reply |
Hard to analyze open responses | AI-powered summaries and theme extraction |
Needs manual updates and edits | Edit by chatting with AI (AI survey editor) |
Easily feels cold or impersonal | Feels like a real conversation for students |
Why use AI for middle school student surveys? AI survey makers deliver results faster, keep students engaged, and reveal authentic feedback. With features like automated probing and conversational layouts, you get richer data—without survey fatigue. Check out how to create a student dress code survey yourself.
For this reason, Specific’s conversational surveys create a best-in-class feedback experience. The format encourages students to share more, so you surface actionable insights and stories that standard forms can’t reach.
See this dress code policy survey example now
Try a conversational dress code policy survey today to get honest, actionable insights from your students—fast, clear, and with more context than ever. Start making every student’s voice count with AI-powered, conversational surveys for real impact.