In order to further understand the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer-plus (LGBTQ+) youth, they must be identified in surveys and data at the federal, state, and local level. Being able to identify LGBTQ+ youth in data, particularly in surveys and research about school climate and negative school experiences, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, and punitive discipline, is critical to improving school experiences and creating school environments that are safe for everyone. When these questions are not included, educators, policymakers, and researchers are unable to address the needs of LGBTQ+ youth. Although there is no one standard item for measuring sexual orientation or gender identity that is best for all situations and contexts involving youth, there are important considerations when designing surveys that can guide schools, local education agencies, state education agencies, and others toward measures of sexual orientation and gender identity that best meet their needs. This brief first discusses these considerations regarding sexual orientation and gender identity data collection in survey-based data collection. The authors discuss survey items that ask individuals to report their own sexual orientation and gender identity. For those interested in administrative data collection in schools and in other educational contexts, see GLSEN Policy's brief on inclusive data collection. In the second part of this brief, they provide specific example items for assessing sexual orientation and gender identity among youth. [For the brief, "LGBTQ+ Data Inclusion: Advancing Intersectional Equity in K-12 Education Systems. Issue Brief," see ED623159.]