Appendix I3 - Letter to Agreeing Schools

I3. Letter to Agreeing Schools

2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey

Dear Principal/School Contact:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the 2010 National Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (NYPANS), sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health. We appreciate your school’s graciousness in hosting the 2010 NYPANS. Results from the NYPANS will help to measure the physical activity and dietary habits of teenagers and to develop education programs to help promote healthy behaviors. When published, your school will receive a copy of the national results from the CDC.

Enclosed are the packets of materials for each participating teacher (whose names are listed on the enclosed Summary of School Arrangements Form). These packets contain: the Summary of School Arrangements Form, a survey fact sheet, a sample survey booklet, instructions to be read when distributing permission forms, parental permission forms, reminder forms, and a Data Collection Checklist. If requested, parental permission forms and reminders are provided in Spanish. We do not need to receive the completed parental permission forms. These remain at the school.

We request that each teacher complete a Data Collection Checklist for his or her class. Names or ID’s of all students in each 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 “yes” response), develop make-up lists of eligible students who are absent, and determine the gender of all nonparticipants.

Your support and encouragement will help to ensure a high rate of participation among your students. A high participation rate is needed to produce valid national data. We ask that you:

1. Distribute the packets to each participating teacher. Ask them to distribute the parental permission forms at least 7 days before survey administration and to encourage their students to return the forms.

2. Please check with teachers a few days prior to the survey administration to make sure parental permission forms have been distributed and student participation encouraged.

3. Identify someone within the school to whom participating teachers may refer students, in the unlikely event the survey raises questions physical activity or dietary behaviors. This person may be a guidance counselor, school nurse, health or physical education teacher, or another person. Let the teachers know who this is, prior to the survey.

4. Show the data collector visiting your school the location for the measurements of height and weight so he/she can confirm it is appropriate.

The participation of your students in the NYPANS 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 9a.m and 5:00p.m. Eastern Time. Thank you again for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Alice Roberts, Project Director

National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey