Please read this letter about the youth survey being conducted at New Richmond High School and Middle 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 New Richmond Schools Families:
The New Richmond Exempted Village School District is working hard to better understand youth health risks 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 district has decided to use this survey to understand more about our students. There are several versions of the survey. On October 13, 2022, New Richmond High School will administer the default version of the survey that does not include potentially sensitive questions about sex. On October 11th, 2022, New Richmond Middle School will administer the same version of the survey.
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 by following this link: OHYES Standard Survey Sample.
How long will the survey take? The survey includes 110 items; it has been tested with other youth and should take about 15-30 minutes.
Who is doing the survey? The survey is being done by the New Richmond High School and Middle School faculty under the guidance of Principals Mr. Stewart or Mr. Lilly. 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 would like 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. You can review these instructions at http://ohyes.ohio.gov/Schools/Preparation/Confidentiality.
Will participating help or hurt my child? People often like to share 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 do 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, 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) require 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 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. Or feel free to call your student’s principal, Mr. Stewart, (513) 553-3191, or Mr. Lilly, (513) 553-3191.
Sincerely,
Tracey Miller
Superintendent
If you wish to opt your student out of the survey: To Opt-Out of the survey, download the following PDF: OHYES Families Opt Out.pdf
Return this completed form to the main office of your child’s school or
Deadlines to Opt-Out:
Monday, October 10th for New Richmond High School;
Monday, October 10th for New Richmond Middle School