2011 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS)

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 09
POLICY CODE: JLC

TO: Superintendents of Schools
FROM: Angela Faherty, Ph.D., Acting Commissioner
DATE: August 2, 2010
SUBJECT: 2011 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS)

The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with the Maine Center for Disease Control and the Office of Substance Abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services, announces the second administration of the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey during the first two weeks of February, 2011. We are delighted to report that Pan Atlantic SMS Group, a Portland based research firm, will continue as the contractor to administer the 2011 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS). Pan Atlantic SMS Group has a long track record with administering school surveys in Maine and has a proven ability to ensure school confidentiality and protect student anonymity.

The goal of this survey is to better understand risk behaviors specific to Maine youth and use these data to inform prevention intervention that affect the success of Maine youth in attaining the Maine Learning Results. The MIYHS replaced several previous surveys sponsored by State agencies in order to minimize time away from academic instruction. The 2011 survey will provide estimates on a variety of student health risk behaviors, health conditions, and risk and protective factors and provide comparison data with the 2009 survey. As you know, this type of trend data showing increases, decreases, or static results is essential for quality programmatic planning, as well as applying for grant applications and other funding opportunities.

Your support of and participation in the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey is greatly appreciated and very much needed. While all high schools and middle schools may participate, a random process of selection is used for schools with kindergarten, third, fifth, and sixth grades. Schools selected for the 2011 survey might not be the same ones chosen for the 2009 survey, although schools not selected for the 2011 fifth and sixth grade survey may volunteer to participate if they choose to do so. A recruitment letter will be sent to all principals and school nurses in a few weeks.

As in the past, the MIYHS protocol is designed to protect student confidentiality and anyone other than principals and MIYHS contacts who request school data will be asked to obtain your written permission. Local data for schools are now available online at: www.maine.gov/youthhealthsurvey .

Highlights:

Kindergarten and third grade parents surveyed, fifth through twelfth graders surveyed
Shorter surveys for all grades with maximum of 110 questions for grades 9 through 12, 80 questions for grades 7 and 8, and 50 questions for grades 5 and 6
Translations of the parent letter available
Anonymity of all surveys

Benefits:

Local, Public Health District, and State data will be available to monitor how priority health risk behaviors among students increase, decrease or remain the same over time
Data will be available to evaluate the impact of broad national, State, and local efforts to prevent risk behaviors, as well as improve school health education policies and programs
A wide range of local data on youth behaviors, risk factors and assets will be available to school administrative units

For more information, please contact Jean Zimmerman at 207-624-6687 or jean.zimmerman@maine.gov .