Please read this letter about the
youth survey being conducted in our school. This letter contains information
about your and your child’s rights and why this survey is important.
Please visit www.ohyes.ohio.gov for additional information.
Dear Parents/Guardians:
What is the purpose of the
survey? Our
school district is working very hard to better understand youth health risk and protective
behaviors in the community. As part of this effort, we are asking students in
grades 7-12 to participate in an anonymous survey called the
Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey -- OHYES! Only children age 12 or above are eligible to
participate. The
OHYES! is a tool designed by the Ohio Departments of Education, Health, and
Mental Health and Addiction Services and numerous other programs advocating for
youth. Our school has decided to use this
survey to understand more about our students.
What is my child being asked to
do? We would
like your child to answer questions about:
=
personal use of
alcohol , tobacco, and other drugs, perception of risks, where accessed
=
feelings about
their school and community
=
family and
personal relationships, and demographics
=
mental health,
suicide and access to care
=
health-related
behaviors (i.e. sleep, nutrition, and exercise)
=
The survey can be
viewed at the school's office, or online (http://ohyes.ohio.gov/Downloads) – 110 item version
How long will the survey take? The survey includes 110 items; it has been tested with other youth and should
take about 15-20 minutes.
Who is doing the survey? The survey is being done by the
school. The survey was developed by the Ohio Departments of Education, Health,
and Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Does my child have to
participate? No, that is a choice for you and your child. But we
really want to hear what your child has to say.
How
do you protect my child’s privacy? The OHYES!
will be confidentially administered by trained school staff. Schools have been
instructed on how to protect student anonymity and confidentiality. Please
review these instructions at http://ohyes.ohio.gov/Schools/Preparation/Confidentiality.
Will participating
help or hurt my child? Many people like sharing their experiences and opinions. Sometimes
sharing personal things can be stressful or emotional. The survey instructions
state that your child may skip any questions he/she is uncomfortable with or stop
the survey at any time; there is a back, next, and quit
button on each question screen. There is no penalty for not taking the
survey or for stopping.
Who
will know what my child shares? Your child’s
privacy will be strictly protected. Students
are NOT asked for their name, identification number or date of birth. No one
can identify your child’s responses. Data is sent directly to the Ohio
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), no data is
stored on school computers; the school does not have access to any individual
survey data. OhioMHAS will not be able to link answers to individual students
or report anything they say to parents, teachers, or administrators. The survey
is anonymous and no student will be identified in the results. Student responses
will be combined and reported together. There are also minimum reporting
requirements (15 or more respondents).
How does my family and community
benefit? OHYES! results will help
guide communities in creating and improving youth health programs in Ohio. The
results will be shared with everyone, including families, faculty and students,
and the public. State-level and county-level results will be available to the
public at http://ohyes.ohio.gov/Results. District and school results will only be available
to Superintendents and Principals with secured access.
Do
I have to sign a form for my child to participate? Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) requires parent or guardian
permission for research involving children. To protect you and your child, we
require parent notification and provide parents
the ability to opt out their child’s participation. This method is commonly
known as passive consent, and minimizes administrative burden on schools,
maintains student confidentiality, and increases response rates. We hope you
will give consent for your child to participate. If so, there is no need to do
anything. If you do NOT want your child to participate in this survey, please
sign the form below and list the name of your child who will NOT participate. A
separate form must be filled out for each child.
Does answering the
survey influence students to try unhealthy behaviors? Absolutely no research
supports any connection between completing a health behavior survey and trying
an unhealthy behavior. You may be reassured to know that many unhealthy behaviors
among young people – including tobacco use, sexual behaviors, and some forms of
violence – have declined since 1991. During that same period, youth surveys
have increased nationwide.
Who can I
contact if I have questions? Visit the
website at www.ohyes.ohio.gov
or email [email protected].
You can also call the OHYES! Team at 1-866-563-6904. (If you want to add a
contact at the school, please do so at 740-532-6345).
Sincerely,
Dean Mader, Dawson-Bryant High School Principal