School Coordinator Instructions

OMB Control Number 0910-0932 

Expiration Date 05/31/2027

Classroom(s) sampled: __________________

Questions?

NYTS@rti.org

866-354-0987

https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey

NYTS SCHOOL COORDINATOR
OVERVIEW & INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for serving as the School Coordinator for the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). Data from the NYTS are used to understand national trends and guide tobacco prevention efforts.

OVERVIEW

• Step 1: Plan.

  • Work with NYTS Liaison to determine survey logistics

  • Receive survey materials
    
    
    

• Step 2: Prepare.

  • Send Parent Permission Forms home about 2 weeks before survey

  • Determine what equipment students will use to complete survey

  • Provide student survey login information and Class Participation Log link to teachers/proctors
    
    
    

• Step 3: Survey Day.

  • Ensure teachers/proctors follow survey protocols

  • Make sure all sampled classes participate

  • Obtain a 90% or higher student response rate
    
    
    

• Step 4: After the survey.

  • Collect signed Refusal Forms from teachers/proctors

  • Email RTI Liaison to confirm survey completion

• Step 5: Verify completion.

  • Receive incentive for school

  • Complete a brief satisfaction survey

Survey Overview

T he NYTS, which has been conducted since 1999, provides important information about students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards tobacco, their exposure to secondhand smoke, and their exposure to influences that promote or discourage tobacco use.

Your school has been randomly sampled to administer the NYTS to a sample of your classes in grades 6 through 12. The online survey can be completed from any device and typically takes about 20 minutes. Your school can choose the day that is most convenient to administer the survey. NYTS staff will prepare parent permission materials and assist your School Coordinator with planning and preparation. It is extremely important to have the participation of all schools sampled for this survey. Otherwise, it is not possible to accurately capture youth tobacco use in the U.S. Your participation will ensure that students from a broad variety of backgrounds and educational settings are represented.

Your Role

As the “School Coordinator”, you will work with the NYTS survey team and your teachers/proctors, to plan and prepare for successful administration of the survey. We appreciate your willingness to learn about NYTS and facilitate participation of students at your school. NYTS survey staff are available to provide support anytime. Please email or call your NYTS liaison or other NYTS staff at NYTS@rti.org or 866-354-0987.

Responsibilities

• Work with your NYTS liaison to choose a survey date and sample classrooms

• Determine what internet-connected computer equipment will be used by students to take the survey

  • NYTS will provide the web address and login information for each classroom

• Ensure that teachers/proctors receive materials they need to facilitate the survey

• Ensure that parent permission forms are sent home about 2 weeks before the survey. (Note: schools that choose to use explicit/active consent, will need to send forms home 4 weeks prior to surveys and use additional protocol for collecting forms.)

• After the survey, collect returned parent forms from teachers/proctors

• Receive school incentive and complete a brief satisfaction survey

School Coordinator Instructions

Step 1: PLAN

• Work with your NYTS Liaison to determine the following survey logistics:

  • Determine the date that works best for your school to complete the survey. Any time between January and May. February and March tend to be the best months for participation.

  • Use the NYTS template to provide a list of classes for sampling. The template will ask for teacher name, teacher email, class name, period, and number of students enrolled in the class.

    • Accurate and complete information is vital – Parent permission counts for mailing and participation response rates are based on this information.
      

• NYTS Project Staff will provide the materials you need to administer the survey:

  • Digital Passive Parent Permission Forms (printed upon request)

    • Explicit Permission may be used if required by district. Meet with NYTS Liaison to discuss further.

  • Proctor instructions and script

  • Survey link and classroom ID(s) (each sampled classroom receives unique login information)

  • Link(s) for Class Participation Log (each sampled classroom teacher receives a unique link)

Step 2: PREPARE

• Ensure teachers/proctors receive “Proctor Overview, Instructions, and Troubleshooting” document.

• Send parent permission forms (PPF) home with students about 2 weeks before the survey.

  • Send forms home with students in sampled classes.

  • Passive/Implicit Parent permission is used for NYTS.

    • Passive/Implied consent means parents do not need to do anything if they agree to their child’s participation. Students who return signed refusal parental permission forms are opted out of the survey. All other students are eligible to participate.

  • Parent Permission Forms are in English and Spanish.

  • If your school requires use of “active/explicit permission”, please follow “Instructions for schools using ACTIVE/EXPLICIT permission” located in text box below.

• Remind teachers/proctors of the survey date. Plan to administer at the beginning of the class period.

• Ensure classrooms have enough internet-connected laptops or computers available for each student or that a computer lab is reserved for the survey session.
  
  
  

Instructions for schools using ACTIVE/EXPLICIT permission:

1. Please email parents in sampled classes the day before sending explicit parent forms home, requesting they sign the forms so their students will be able to participate in NYTS.

2. Send explicit permission forms home to students in sampled classes 4 weeks prior to the survey date.

3. Keep track of returned forms using provided parent permission tracking form to monitor:

   1. Who has or has not returned a form yet?

   2. Who is or is not permitted to participate?

4. Remind parents to return the form prior to survey date!

Step 3: SURVEY DAY

• Verify that teachers/proctors administer the survey and complete Class Participation Logs during or immediately after proctoring the survey (URL forthcoming).

  • There should be a separate log for each class surveyed.
    
    
    

• Work with NYTS Staff and teachers/proctors to obtain a minimum of 90% response rate.

  • The study team will monitor incoming data and online participation logs to track your school’s participation rates.

  • For data to be valid and representative, it is important that ALL sampled classrooms participate.

  • For classes with low response rates, please work with teachers to identify another date for absent students to participate or provide login information to students to participate on their own.
    
    
    

Step 4: AFTER THE SURVEY

• Collect parent permission forms (if applicable) from teachers/proctors and file and store them as required by school or district.

• Email your RTI Liaison and/or NYTS Staff to confirm that your school has finished administering the survey (NYTS@rti.org).
  
  
  

Step 5: VERIFICATION & RECEIVE INCENTIVE

• As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the FDA will provide each participating school with a monetary award. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools can use these funds. Participating schools will also receive an invitation to a webinar discussing the results of the NYTS.

• Complete a brief satisfaction survey.

Materials Checklist

• “Proctor Overview, Instructions, and Troubleshooting” document

• Parent Permission Forms

• Proctor Script

• Student survey login information

• Class Participation Logs login information

Thank you for your participation!

For any questions, please contact your NYTS Liaison or the NYTS team at NYTS@rti.org or 866-354-0987.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per survey, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Office of Operations, Food and Drug Administration, Three White Flint North, 10A-12M, 11601 Landsdown St., North Bethesda, MD 20852, PRAStaff@fda.hhs.gov, ATTN: PRA (0910-0932).

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