Student Health Survey

Appendix K. Data Collection Checklist for the “Student Health Survey” Supplemental Documents

K1. Letter To Teachers in Participating Schools: Paper-and-Pencil or Computer Lab Conditions

K2. Letter To Teachers in Participating Schools: “On Your Own” Condition

K3. Make-up List and Instructions

Appendix K1. Letter To Teachers in Participating Schools: Paper-and-Pencil or Computer Lab Conditions

LETTER TO TEACHERS IN PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

PAPER-AND-PENCIL OR COMPUTER LAB CONDITIONS

Dear Teacher:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in a study of the student health survey, also referred to as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is an important study that asks about a variety of health topics that are pertinent to today’s youth, including nutrition, physical activity, injuries, tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. It also asks about sexual behaviors that cause AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy.

This year, the CDC is assessing the feasibility of administering the survey via the web vs. paper-and-pencil.

Four classes from your school have been randomly selected to participate in the study. Your class has been selected to participate in the school-based [COMPUTER/PAPER-AND-PENCIL] survey administration. Therefore, your students will complete the survey on [COMPUTERS IN THE SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB/PAPER-AND-PENCIL SURVEYS] during their regular class period.

We have enclosed a variety of materials to help you understand the student health survey and to prepare you for the upcoming data collection, including (1) the Summary of School Arrangements Form, (2) a survey fact sheet, (3) a sample survey booklet, (4) instructions to be read when distributing permission forms, (5) parental permission forms, (6) reminder forms, and (7) a Data Collection Checklist. If requested, parental permission forms and reminders are provided in Spanish.

The enclosed Data Collection Checklist should be used to track and record the return of all parental permission forms. Names or ID’s for all students in your selected class should be listed on this checklist, not just those participating in the survey. Names will be kept confidential and destroyed after the completion of data collection. The names are needed to take roll, make sure students not in the selected class do not “slip in”, identify students eligible to complete the survey (i.e., returned parental permission form with a “yes” response), develop make-up lists of eligible students who are absent, and determine the gender and grade of all nonparticipants. This form needs to be filled out BEFORE the data collection.

You play a very important role in the survey. Your support and encouragement are necessary to ensure a high rate of participation among your students. A high participation rate is needed to produce valid results.

Please follow the instructions below to help us prepare for survey administration in your class.

1. Distribute the parental permission forms to students in the selected class as soon as possible, preferably at least 7 days prior to the survey date. Read to the class "Instructions to be Read in Distributing Permission Forms." Add your own words of encouragement and support of the survey. Encourage students to return the forms the next day.
   
   

2. Give a reminder form and/or another parental permission form to students as needed.

2. Track and record the return of permission forms on the Data Collection Checklist. Our data collector will meet with you immediately prior to the survey administration to review the checklist. NOTE: Returned parental permission forms remain at the school.
   
   

3. On the day of the survey, please plan an alternate activity for those students who do not have parental permission to take the survey.
   
   

4. [IF COMPUTER ADMINISTRATION: On the day prior to the scheduled data collection, inform the students of the alternate survey administration location and ask that they report directly to the alternate location on the next day.]

Survey procedures have been designed to protect your students’ privacy and allow for anonymous participation. During survey administration, you will be asked to remain at the front of the classroom to increase student candor. The survey will be administered by specially trained field staff. It will take about 45 minutes.

The participation of your students in the 2008 methodological study of the YRBS will help the CDC, educators, and public health officials assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health risk behaviors among adolescents throughout the Nation. If you have any questions, please call me toll-free at 800-675-9727 between 9:00 a.m and 5:00 p.m eastern time. Thank you again for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Appendix K2. Letter To Teachers in Participating Schools: “On Your Own” Condition

LETTER TO TEACHERS IN PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

“ON YOUR OWN CONDITION”

Dear Teacher:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in a study of the student health survey, also referred to as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is an important study that asks about a variety of health topics that are pertinent to today’s youth, including nutrition, physical activity, injuries, tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. It also asks about sexual behaviors that cause AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy.

This year, the CDC is assessing the feasibility of administering the survey via the web vs. paper-and-pencil.

Four classes from your school were randomly selected to participate in the study. Your class has been selected to participate in the individual, on your own survey administration. Therefore, your students will complete the survey on their own time, via the web, at a place of their choice. On [DATE] students who have completed the parental permission form process and have permission to participate will receive a personal account number and instructions for completing the survey. They will have two weeks from that date in which to complete the survey.

We have enclosed a variety of materials to help you understand the student health survey and to prepare you for the upcoming data collection. We have enclosed a variety of materials to help you understand the YRBS, including (1) the Summary of School Arrangements Form, (2) a survey fact sheet, (3) a sample survey booklet, (4) Instructions to be read when distributing permission forms, (5) parental permission forms, (6) reminder forms, and (7) a Data Collection Checklist. If requested, parental permission forms and reminders are provided in Spanish.

The enclosed Data Collection Checklist should be used to track and record the return of all parental permission forms. Names or ID’s for all students in your selected class should be listed on this checklist, not just those participating in the survey. Names will be kept confidential and destroyed after the completion of data collection. The names are needed to take roll, make sure students not in the selected class do not “slip in”, and identify students eligible to complete the

survey (i.e., returned parental permission form with a “yes” response). This form needs to be filled out BEFORE [DATE].

You play a very important role in the survey. Your support and encouragement are necessary to ensure a high rate of participation among your students. A high participation rate is needed to produce valid results.

Please follow the instructions below to help us prepare for survey administration in your class.

1. Distribute the parental permission forms to students in the selected class as soon as possible, preferably at least 7 days prior to the survey date. Read to the class "Instructions to be Read in Distributing Permission Forms." Add your own words of encouragement and support of the survey. Encourage students to return the forms the next day.

2. Give a reminder form and/or another parental permission form to students as needed.

3. Track and record the return of permission forms on the Data Collection Checklist. NOTE: Returned parental permission forms remain at the school.

On [DATE] our data collector will meet with you to review the Data Collection Checklist, ascertain who has permission to participate in the survey, distribute personal account information, and instruct the students in how to access and complete the survey on-line.

The participation of your students in the 2008 methodological study of the YRBS will help the CDC, educators, and public health officials assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health risk behaviors among adolescents throughout the Nation. If you have any questions, please call me toll-free at 800-675-9727 between 9:00 a.m and 5:00 p.m eastern time. Thank you again for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Appendix K3. Make-up List

MAKE-UP LIST
School Name: ________________________ State:_______ Grades(s): _____			Teacher Name(s):_______________________________ Class:__________________________Period:_______ Condition: 1 2 3 (Please circle one.)
Dear Teacher: Students who were selected to participate in the 2008 Methodological Study of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, but did NOT complete the survey are listed below. The list includes absentees and students who lacked parental permission when the survey was originally administered. You are asked to administer a make-up with each of these students who return to class and have parental permission. When administering the survey, please follow the enclosed make-up instruction guide closely. PAPER AND PENCIL SURV EY (Condition 1) For students taking the survey using paper and pencil, an adequate supply of survey booklets, student envelopes, and pencils is enclosed. Please place each student’s sealed envelope containing his/her completed questionnaire, in the white, business reply, pre-paid envelope marked MAKE-UPS along with this form. Please enter your name, school name and address on the envelope prior to mailing. For any student(s) not completing a make-up survey, please note the reason (if known), and return any unused survey booklets and envelopes. Please do NOT send back pencils. ONLINE SURVEY (Conditions 2 and 3) For students taking the survey online, an adequate supply of access codes is enclosed. These access codes can be used until ___________________________. After this date, students will no longer be able to log into the survey. Please make arrangements for each student listed below to complete the online survey at school prior to this date. Important: If a student has for all practical purposes ceased to attend school and you cannot conduct a make-up, mark a capital “D” next to his/her name and return it with your completed surveys or fax it to Alice Roberts at 301/572-0986. Thank you again for your help. If you have any questions, please call us toll-free at 800-675-9727. PLEASE PRINT STUDENT NAMES OR IDs CLEARLY.
Males Needing Make-ups	Code* (See list of codes below)	Females Needing Make-ups		Code* (See list of codes below)

NON-PARTICIPATION CODES*

A = Absent

ISS = In School Suspension

NFR = No Form Returned

SR = Student Refusal