SERAC Youth Survey Overview

SERAC YOUTH SURVEY OVERVIEW


BACKGROUND:

             •   The subject of the survey is the youth of the community, not the public schools.
             •   The Youth Survey is based upon the Governor’s Prevention Initiative for Youth (GPIY)
                 survey which was first administered by UConn Health Center’s Community Health
                 Department, to youth throughout Connecticut in 1997 in order to ascertain prevalence,
                 attitudes and behaviors related to use of substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs).
             •   The survey also includes questions about mental health and wellness, social
                 supports and risk and protective factors.
             •   Since 2006, SERAC has surveyed over 50,000 youth from across Connecticut.
LOGISTICS:

             •   Survey is anonymous
             •   Administered online during class via survey monkey
             •   Timing for completion of survey varies for each grade level
             •   Includes skip logic so only relevant questions are asked
             •   Objective is to survey all students in grades 6-12
             •   The survey includes questions designed to detect invalid responses so they may
                 be excluded from analysis
             •   A Two-Week Passive Consent period is recommended for parent’s to have time
                 to send back an Opt-Out form if desired.
             •   A copy of the survey should be made available in the office for parents
                 interested in viewing the survey.
             •   The cost of survey administration, analysis and reporting is covered by Youth
                 Services’ Drug Free Communities Grant.
UTILITY:

             •   Identify issues of concern
             •   Identify emerging issues
             •   Track trends
             •   Local data can be compared to SERAC’s extensive regional data set and to data
                 from national surveys including the Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) and the
                 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey (YRBSS)
             •   Inform prevention planning and curriculum decisions, if desired
             •   Support grant deliverable requirements or grant applications