Attachment F-2

NYTS DISTRICT LETTER OF INVITATION

DATE

Dear Superintendent :

I am writing to inform you that XX school(s) in your district is/are among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As witnessed over the past few decades, youth tobacco use can increase or decrease rapidly. More recently from 2003 to 2009, the CDC reported that while youth smoking has declined it has occurred at slower rates. Conduct of the NYTS has increased our ability to detect rapid changes in tobacco use behaviors and their influences, thereby enabling states, school districts, schools, and community organizations to modify their tobacco prevention and control interventions, if circumstances require

First conducted in 1999, the NYTS is an ongoing survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years. Each cycle has produced valuable data regarding students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward tobacco; their exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; and their exposure to influences that promote or discourage tobacco use.

The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools. For that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2012. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support." Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, Inc., a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Ms. Kate Flint of ICF Macro, Inc., at (800) 675-9727 or Mr. René Arrazola of CDC at (770) 488-2414. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Timothy McAfee, MD, MPH

Director of the Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:

January 13, 2011

Mr. Wendell Chu

East Islip Union Free School District

1 Craig B. Gariepy Avenue

Islip Terrace, NY 11752

Dear Superintendent Chu:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NYTS is a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support your participation in the survey. In his enclosed letter, Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Data from the YTS are used to track tobacco use and other related-behaviors in New York youth. These data have shown that important reductions in youth tobacco use have taken place in New York over the past 10 years."

Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8)... Since there is no substitute that can be made if a district or school declines to participate, the New York State Department of Education encourages those districts and schools selected to participate voluntarily in the 2011 NYTS." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
East Islip Middle School	6th (1) 7th (1) 8th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support". Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Dana Shelton M.P.H.

Acting Director

Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:	Mark Bernard, East Islip Middle School
	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Dr. Fern Aefsky

Beacon City School District

10 Education Drive

Beacon, NY 12508

Dear Superintendent Aefsky:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Beacon High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters and of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Anthony DiMarco, Beacon High School
	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Ms. Mary Kay Frys

Johnson City Central School District

666 Reynolds Road

Johnson City, NY 13790

Dear Superintendent Frys:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Johnson City High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Diane Busch, Johnson City High School
	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Thomas Perillo

Greater Amsterdam School District

11 Liberty Street

Amsterdam, NY 12010

Dear Superintendent Perillo:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Amsterdam High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health
	David Ziskin, Amsterdam High School

January 13, 2011

Mr. Thomas Austin

Walton Central School District

47-49 Stockton Avenue

Walton, NY 13856

Dear Superintendent Austin:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NYTS is a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support your participation in the survey. In his enclosed letter, Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Data from the YTS are used to track tobacco use and other related-behaviors in New York youth. These data have shown that important reductions in youth tobacco use have taken place in New York over the past 10 years."

Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8)... Since there is no substitute that can be made if a district or school declines to participate, the New York State Department of Education encourages those districts and schools selected to participate voluntarily in the 2011 NYTS." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
O'Neill High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support". Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Dana Shelton M.P.H.

Acting Director

Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Michael McDonald, O'Neill High School
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Richard Powell

Wappingers Central School District

167 Myers Corners Road-200

Wappingers Fl, NY 12590

Dear Superintendent Powell:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	G. Thomas Stella, Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Richard Rose

Canajoharie Central School District

136 Scholastic Way

Canajoharie, NY 13317

Dear Superintendent Rose:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Canajoharie High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	David Barnes, Canajoharie High School
	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Michael Mostow

Patchogue-Medford Unified School District

241 South Ocean Avenue

Patchogue, NY 11772

Dear Superintendent Mostow:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NYTS is a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support your participation in the survey. In his enclosed letter, Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Data from the YTS are used to track tobacco use and other related-behaviors in New York youth. These data have shown that important reductions in youth tobacco use have taken place in New York over the past 10 years."

Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8)... Since there is no substitute that can be made if a district or school declines to participate, the New York State Department of Education encourages those districts and schools selected to participate voluntarily in the 2011 NYTS." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Patchogue Medford Senior High School	9th (2) 10th (2) 11th (2) 12th (2)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support". Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Dana Shelton M.P.H.

Acting Director

Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Randy Rusielewicz, Patchogue Medford Senior High School
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. George Goodwin

Lansingburgh Central School District

576 5th Avenue

Troy, NY 12182

Dear Superintendent Goodwin:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NYTS is a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support your participation in the survey. In his enclosed letter, Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Data from the YTS are used to track tobacco use and other related-behaviors in New York youth. These data have shown that important reductions in youth tobacco use have taken place in New York over the past 10 years."

Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8)... Since there is no substitute that can be made if a district or school declines to participate, the New York State Department of Education encourages those districts and schools selected to participate voluntarily in the 2011 NYTS." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Knickerbacker Middle School	6th (2) 7th (2) 8th (2)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support". Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Dana Shelton M.P.H.

Acting Director

Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Shaun Paolino, Knickerbacker Middle School
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Robert Barraco

Richfield Springs Central School District

93 Main Street

Richfield Springs, NY 13439

Dear Superintendent Barraco:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NYTS is a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support your participation in the survey. In his enclosed letter, Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Data from the YTS are used to track tobacco use and other related-behaviors in New York youth. These data have shown that important reductions in youth tobacco use have taken place in New York over the past 10 years."

Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8)... Since there is no substitute that can be made if a district or school declines to participate, the New York State Department of Education encourages those districts and schools selected to participate voluntarily in the 2011 NYTS." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Richfield Springs Central School	6th (1) 7th (1) 8th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support". Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Dana Shelton M.P.H.

Acting Director

Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Penny Harrington, Richfield Springs Central School
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Christopher Mominey

Diocese of Syracuse Education Office

240 East Onondaga Street

Syracuse, NY 13202

Dear Superintendent Mominey:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Seton Catholic Central High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Kathleen Dwyer, Seton Catholic Central High School
	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Mr. Geoffrey Hicks

Arlington Central School District

696 Dutchess Turnpike

Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Dear Superintendent Hicks:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Arlington High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Brendan Lyons, Arlington High School
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Ms. Michele Weaver

Middleburgh Central School District

168 Main Street

Middleburgh, NY 12122

Dear Superintendent Weaver:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Middleburgh High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Lori Petrosino, Middleburgh High School
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health

January 13, 2011

Cathleen P. Black

New York City Department of Education

52 Chambers Street

New York, NY 10007

Dear Chancellor Black:

I am writing to inform you that 2 schools in your district are among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NYTS is a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that gathers information on: (1) prevalence of use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and tobacco in a pipe, bidis, and kreteks), (2) knowledge and attitudes, (3) media and advertising, (4) minors access and enforcement, (5) school curriculum, (6) environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and (7) cessation. The NYTS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support your participation in the survey. In his enclosed letter, Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Data from the YTS are used to track tobacco use and other related-behaviors in New York youth. These data have shown that important reductions in youth tobacco use have taken place in New York over the past 10 years."

Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8)... Since there is no substitute that can be made if a district or school declines to participate, the New York State Department of Education encourages those districts and schools selected to participate voluntarily in the 2011 NYTS." The selected schools in your district are:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
I.S. 340	6th (2) 7th (2) 8th (2)
Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Study	9th (2) 10th (2) 11th (2) 12th (2)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The NYTS is the most comprehensive, nationally representative source of tobacco-related behaviors and the only source of such data for middle school students (grades 6-8). In parallel to this national survey, the NYTS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective tobacco use prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the NYTS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, and "letters of support". Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the NYTS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Dana Shelton M.P.H.

Acting Director

Office on Smoking and Health

Enclosures

cc:	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Edward Wilensky, Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Study
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health
	Jean Williams, I.S. 340

January 13, 2011

Mr. Gerardo Tagliafern

Susquehanna Valley Central School District

1040 Conklin Road

Conklin, NY 13748

Dear Superintendent Tagliafern:

I am writing to inform you that 1 school in your district is among the 200 schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with Federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health and is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The New York State Education Department and State Department of Health support the survey. In her enclosed letter, Martha Morrissey, Office of Student Support Services, State Education Department, writes; "The YRBS is designed to focus on those priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality and morbidity during both youth and adulthood...Your involvement will help guarantee that this survey is a nationally representative sample that includes students from New York State."

Jeffrey Willett, Tobacco Control Program Director, State Department of Health, writes; "Results from the National YRBS are used to track multiple health-risk behaviors engaged in by New York youth and may contribute to public health policy aimed at reducing these behaviors." The selected school in your district is:

School	Grade (Number of Classes)
Susquehanna Valley Senior High School	9th (1) 10th (1) 11th (1) 12th (1)

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade-level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during February through April 2011. Questionnaires will be administered during one normal class period by specially trained field staff. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. Counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary incentive. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Schools also will receive a copy of the published results report and a variety of educational materials related to the health of young people.

Your support for these surveys will help ensure the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your district. The YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health risk behaviors of high school students in this Country and is increasingly used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

Enclosed are copies of the YRBS questionnaire, sample parental permission forms, a survey fact sheet, letters of support, and the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance results report. Within one week, a representative from ICF Macro, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you. If you have any immediate questions, please call Dr. Danice Eaton of CDC at (770) 488-6143. Your support for this survey will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

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:	David Daniels, Susquehanna Valley Senior High School
	Danice Eaton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
	Kate Flint, ICF Macro
	Harlan Juster, New York Department of Health
	Martha Morrissey, New York Department of Education
	Carolyn Ramage, ICF Macro
	Beth Sundberg, ICF Macro
	Jeffrey Willett, New York Department of Health