Survey data is often used as frequently as student test scores to indicate school progress. When one administers a survey, however, the challenge is to make sure it elicits responses that give viable information that can be used. The way in which one writes and presents both the questions and the response choices determines how reliable the results will be. The road to reliability begins with a clear objective for each question, a well-designed structure, and a correct choice of responses to match the question. When created in this way, the survey will deliver consistent responses with repeated use, which leads to confidence in the results. This article presents a three-step guide to developing an effective survey.