This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey. This document addresses the most common concerns from schools and school districts as they consider participating in the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey, and also as they administer the survey.
- Why is the survey being done?
- How long does it take to fill out the survey?
- Is this going to be a lot of work for me?
- Are sensitive questions asked?
- Do students tell the truth?
- How do parents find out about the survey?
- What if some parents do not want their children to complete the survey?
- Will students’ names be used or linked to the surveys?
- What data do we receive if we participate in the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey?
- What data will be available to the public?
- How were our students chosen to be in the survey?
- Which of my students should I administer the survey to?
- When will the survey be administered?
- What is the survey administrator training, and when will it take place?
- Where can I get more information about the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey?
Why is the survey being done?
The Burleigh Morton Behavioral Health Coalition is working to prevent substance use. This data provides baseline data necessary to apply for federal funding opportunities for prevention activities. If funded, this data will provide the required information to monitor trends as the project continues. Results will also help Bismarck evaluate substance abuse prevention efforts at the local level.
How long does it take to fill out the survey?
The survey takes about 10 minutes for most students, but about 15 minutes for 6th grade students. In past years, most if not all, students were able to finish the survey in the allotted time.
Is this going to be a lot of work for me?
No. We are trying to make sure that the survey administration is as easy and simple as possible. We will be as accommodating as possible to make this process easy for you and will strive to come up with solutions to any concerns.
Are sensitive questions asked?
Yes, some questions on the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey are sensitive. The primary purpose of this survey is to measure substance use by our youth and related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that have been shown to be related to youth use substances. These topics can be considered sensitive. As a result, the questions are written in a direct but non-threatening way. Additionally, the students are informed that their participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous. The students may skip any questions that they do not feel comfortable answering and their responses are not individually identifiable. Consequently, the risk of responding to the survey is minimal, and is no greater than what the students might experience as they complete their typical school work.
Do students tell the truth?
In general, yes. To summarize:
Reliability and validity. Based on published studies of the psychometric properties of these survey items, the reliability and validity of these measures do not seem to be compromised because the students are not telling the truth. If you would like to read more, WYSAC can give you copies of these published papers.
Survey environment. The survey is conducted in a way that reassures the students to feel that they can answer the questions openly and honestly because their survey responses are anonymous.
Consistency across time and with other survey results. Though the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey is new, it is consistent with other youth surveys like the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Monitoring the Future. Given these similarities, the evaluation team, who have conducted similar youth surveys in the past, expects that the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey will be consistent with other national, state and local surveys. Thus, the results are expected to be consistent and comparable both across time and across surveys.
(See “Do Students Tell the Truth on the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey?” for more information)
How do parents find out about the survey?
The primary means of informing parents about the survey will be through a letter sent to parents. The letter will be distributed approximately two weeks before the school’s survey administration date. WYSAC will provide the letter that will be sent to the parents at each school. If so desired, schools may also inform parents about the survey in other ways, such as newsletters. WYSAC will work with the schools to ensure that all parents are informed of the survey prior to the survey administration date.
What if some parents do not want their children to complete the survey?
All parents have the option to request that their child not take the survey.
Will students’ names be used or linked to the surveys?
No. The survey has been designed to protect the students’ privacy. Students do not put their name on the survey.
What data do we receive if we participate in the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Student Survey?
Reports based on the responses provided by your students will be written for the community coalitions working on the prevention of underage alcohol use. Individual schools may also request a report if they so desire. If a school or district requests a report, then a report will only be written if a sufficient number of students at that school participated in the survey to ensure that the students’ anonymity and confidentiality are not breached.
What data will be available to the public?
Data reports will only be shared with the coalition working on these prevention efforts. School reports will only be released to the school representative. We will only release a local school district’s or school’s data to other parties with written permission from the established authority within the respective school district or school.
How were our students chosen to be in the survey?
The goal of this project is to survey selected middle school and high school grade students in the Bismarck community service area. Your school was chosen because you teach students who are in this area and if funded, your students will be impacted by the prevention activities.
Which of my students should I administer the survey to?
The survey was designed to be administered to at least three selected grades between 6th through 12th grades.
When will the survey be administered?
The survey will be administered in the fall semester. A similar time frame will occur biannually through the end of federal funding. We will work with schools to choose the class period on the chosen day for survey administration.
Who can serve as survey administrators?
In most schools the classroom teachers will serve as survey administrators. They will be charged with administering the surveys to their own students using the prepared survey instructions for each classroom.
Where can I get more information?
For additional questions, contact the WYSAC evaluation team.