Appendix I-4 District Letter of Invitation for SHPPS 2016

RECRUITMENT LETTER TO DISTRICTS

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

[ADDRESS]

[ADDRESS]

[DATE]

Dear [DISTRICT CONTACT]:

I am writing to inform you that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be conducting the School Health Policies and Practices Study during the 2015-2016 school year. The purpose of this letter is to invite your district to participate in the School Health Policies and Practices Study.

SHPPS is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs and practices and has been conducted since 1994. SHPPS helps us to understand how schools contribute to the health and well-being of our Nation’s young people and the communities they serve. The underlying assumptions behind SHPPS are that healthy students learn better and that a healthful school environment is more conducive to learning. SHPPS is conducted under the authority of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 241). A national sample of approximately 850 school districts has been randomly selected to participate in the study.

[PLACE HERE TEXT FROM STATE LETTER OF SUPPORT, IF PROVIDED; OR ADD TEXT ABOUT VERBAL SUPPORT FROM STATE]

The SHPPS study will assess the characteristics of eight components of school health programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels:

• Health education

• Physical education and activity

• Health services

• Mental health and social services

• Healthy and safe school environment

• Nutrition services

• Faculty and staff health promotion

• Family and community involvement

SHPPS does not involve a student survey. District staff will be asked to complete web-based surveys. Study procedures are designed to allow for anonymous participation; districts and staff will not be identified in any published reports.

Enclosed is an informational packet about the study, which contains questionnaire content outlines, a study fact sheet, and a respondent identification form. Results from SHPPS will be available by the fall of 2017 and will be available on the CDC’s web site. SHPPS data will be used to help improve school health policies and programs nationwide and to support the school health and HIV education programs CDC has supported since 1988.

Within a few days, a representative from ICF International will call you to discuss any questions that you might have. If you have any immediate questions please contact Alice Roberts at ICF International, toll-free at 800-287-1815. You also may contact Dr. Nancy Brener of the CDC at 770-488-6184. For additional information about SHPPS, please visit the study web site: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps/.

Sincerely yours,

Howell Wechsler, Ed. D., M.P.H.

Director

Division of Adolescent and School Health

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Enclosures

cc: [DISTRICT CDC/DASH CONTACT NAME, ORGANIZATION]

[STATE APPROVAL NAME, ORGANIZATION]

[STATE CDC/DASH CONTACT NAME, ORGANIZATION]

[STATE CC 1 NAME, ORGANIZATION]

Nancy Brener, CDC/DASH

Alice Roberts, ICF International