INFO FOR STUDENTS
2. How will this information be used?
3.
Was my participation voluntary?
6. Is this the first survey like this to be done in Missouri schools?
7. Were sensitive questions asked?
1.
What is the focus of the Missouri 2002 Student Survey?
The focus of the student survey is the health risk behaviors—such as violence and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use—that can result in injury and/or impede your positive development. The purpose of the survey is to learn how students in your school feel about their community, family, peers, and school. The survey also asks what students think about different health behaviors related to alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.
2.
How will the information be used?
All the information gathered from the Missouri Student Survey will
be provided to the school district superintendent and may be shared further at
the discretion of the district superintendent.
3.
Was my participation voluntary?
Yes! Parents were asked to return an informed consent form to allow their children to participate in the study. Students were given the opportunity to decline participation at any time, including at testing time. Students not participating in the survey were asked to perform some alternative activity (e.g., reading) while the survey was being conducted. Your grades were not affected by not participating in the survey.
Your answers were collected in a manner that ensured that no one had access to any personal information about you or other students participating in the survey. The students were given a survey booklet that contained the question items and a place to record responses. The survey booklet did not have the student’s name or any other identifying information on it. Students were reminded that they should not write such information on the booklet. When completing the survey, students were arranged so that the teacher administering the survey or the student’s peers could not see their responses. Students were provided with a blank sheet of paper to cover their answers. At the end of the class period, each student was asked to place his/her completed questionnaire into an envelope and seal it; these envelopes were inserted into a larger envelope and sealed. No one from the project team will be able to link you or any individual student participating in the survey to a questionnaire.
This project is part of an important study being funded by the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Your participation in this study was vital because it will help us gather information to better understand the issues related to substance abuse and teenagers in schools. This approach leads to better prevention outcomes, such as reductions in substance abuse, violence, and delinquency in schools.
6.
Is this the first survey like this to be done in Missouri schools?
This
is the second time that the Missouri Student Survey has been administered in
Missouri schools. All school districts in Missouri that receive
federal funding for substance abuse prevention activities, however, are required to
administer a student survey to determine if the districts' activities for the
prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use have been successful and to
identify needs for the future. The
Department of Elementary Secondary Education (DESE) has administered a survey
called the Safe and Drug Free Schools Survey mandated every other year for many
years. The
Missouri 2002 Student Survey and the Safe and Drug Free Schools Survey contain
similar questions on substance use, but the Missouri 2002 Student Survey
includes additional questions focusing on factors that either protect youth from
substance use or place them at risk for such use. The additional information gathered by the Missouri Student
Survey will allow the State to make the best assessment of the need for
prevention efforts in the State and to target these efforts effectively.
7.
Were sensitive questions asked?
The
survey included questions related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use;
violent behaviors; and related risk and protective factors that might be
considered sensitive by some. The questions in these topic areas were asked honestly and
straightforwardly, in order to determine if students in your school engage in health risk behaviors.
Some
examples of the questions:
17.
My teacher's notices when I am doing a good job and lets me know about
it.
NO!
no
yes
YES!
93.
Which of the following activities for people your age are available in
your community?
__sports
teams
__scouting
__boys
and girls clubs
__4-H clubs
__service
clubs
Examples
of questions that could be considered sensitive by some include:
30c. How old were you when you
first had more than a sip or two of beer, wine, or
__Never
__10 or younger
__12
__13
__14
__15
__16
__17 or
older