2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey (Letter to Teachers)

2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey

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Dear Teacher:

We appreciate your classroom hosting the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey is designed to collect comprehensive data on the attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of middle and high school students (grades 6-12) with respect to tobacco use, intent to use, exposure to tobacco use, and exposure to tobacco marketing/advertising.

You play a very important role in the survey. Your class was randomly selected and cannot be replaced. 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 national data.

To prepare for the NYTS administration, please follow the instructions below.

1. The enclosed Summary of School Arrangements lists the classes that were randomly selected to participate and the date of survey administration. Other details such as administration logistics may be included as well. Thank you for reviewing this document.

2. Distribute a parental permission form to each student in your class(es) at least 10 days prior to the survey administration date. Read to the class “Instructions to be Read When Distributing Permission Forms.” Please remind students to return their form as soon as possible.

3. Follow the directions on the Data Collection Checklist and use it to track and record the return of all permission forms. Please be sure to complete this form prior to the survey date so that we can easily determine which students are eligible to participate in the survey. Our survey representative will collect this form from you; it will be destroyed after the completion of data collection.

4. Distribute a reminder slip and/or another parental permission form to students who do not return a form as of 3 days prior to the survey administration date.

5. On the day of the survey, please plan an alternate activity for those students who are not participating or complete the survey early.

Survey procedures have been designed to protect your students’ privacy and allow for anonymous participation. The survey will be administered by a specially trained survey representative and will take about 35 minutes. During survey administration, you will be asked to remain at the front of the classroom to increase student candor. Enclosed is a summary fact sheet about the study. A copy of the questionnaire is available with your school’s contact person, if you would like to view it.

The participation of your students in the NYTS will help the CDC, educators, and public health officials assess and improve efforts to reduce tobacco use among adolescents throughout the Nation. If you have any questions, please call me toll-free at 1-800-675-9727 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Thank you again for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Kate Flint, Project Director

National Youth Tobacco Survey

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ICF * 530 Gaither Road, Suite 500 * Rockville, MD 20850 * 800-675-9727 * 877-616-4577 (fax)