The Views About Sciences Survey (VASS) is a survey of student views about science for the purpose of assessing the influence of these views on learning. This paper discusses the survey's design, development, results, and implications for science education. The survey assesses student views along seven dimensions with a novel Contrasting Alternatives Design. It was administered in 23 states to about 8,000 high school and college students enrolled in physics, chemistry, and biology courses. Results indicate that students at all levels hold views about knowing and learning science that often diverge from the views of scientists and educators, student views differ according to discipline and across some demographic strata, and student views are hardly affected by traditional science instruction, but they affect what students learn in the course of such instruction. Contains 72 references. (Author)