RECRUITMENT LETTER TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
Dear [TITLE] [LAST NAME]:
I am writing to inform you that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be conducting the School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) during the 2013-2014 school year. The purpose of this letter is to invite your school to participate in SHPPS.
Your school has been randomly selected to participate in the study, along with approximately 800 other schools nationwide. We have contacted the [SCHOOL DISTRICT] and have received approval from [DISTRICT-LEVEL APPROVER], [DISTRICT–LEVEL APPROVER POSITION] to contact you regarding your school's participation. [PLACE HERE TEXT FROM STATE AND/OR DISTRICT LETTER OF SUPPORT, IF WE HAVE IT; OR ADD TEXT ABOUT VERBAL SUPPORT FROM STATE AND/OR DISTRICT]
SHPPS is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs and practices and has been conducted since 1994. SHPPS helps us to understand how schools contribute to the health and well-being of our Nation’s young people and the communities they serve. The underlying assumptions behind SHPPS are that healthy students learn better and that a healthful school environment is more conducive to learning. SHPPS is conducted under the authority of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 241).
The SHPPS 2012 study will assess the characteristics of eight components of school health programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels:
Health education
Physical education and activity
Health services
Mental health and social services
Healthy and safe school environment
Nutrition services
Faculty and staff health promotion
Family and community involvement
SHPPS does not involve a student survey. School staff will be interviewed in person during a convenient time at their school campus. Data from a nationally-representative sample of schools will be collected between February and May 2014. Study procedures are designed to allow for anonymous participation; states, districts, schools, and staff will not be identified in any published reports. SHPPS will also include an observational component to supplement information obtained during the interviews, which will consist of documenting the foods and beverages students have access to during the school day through vending machines.
Enclosed is an informational packet about the study, which contains questionnaire content outlines, a study fact sheet, and a respondent identification form. Results from SHPPS will be available by the fall of 2015 and will be available on the CDC’s web site. SHPPS data will be used to help improve school health policies and programs nationwide and to support the school health and HIV education projects CDC has supported since 1988.
Within a few days, a representative from ICF International will call you to discuss any questions that you might have. If you have any immediate questions please contact Alice Roberts at ICF International, toll-free at 800-287-1815. You also may contact Dr. Nancy Brener of the CDC at 770-488-6184. For additional information about SHPPS, please visit the study web site: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps/.
Sincerely yours,
Howell Wechsler, Ed. D., M.P.H.
Director
Division of Adolescent and School Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Enclosures
cc: [DISTRICT APPROVAL NAME, ORGANIZATION]
[DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, ORGANIZATION]
[STATE CDC/DASH CONTACT NAME, ORGANIZATION]
[STATE CC 1 NAME, ORGANIZATION]
Nancy Brener, CDC/DASH
Alice Roberts, ICF International
RECRUITMENT LETTER TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
Dear [TITLE] [LAST NAME]:
I am writing to inform you that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be conducting the School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) during the 2013-2014 school year. The purpose of this letter is to invite your school to participate in the SHPPS.
Your school has been randomly selected to participate in the study, along with approximately 800 other schools nationwide. We have contacted the [DIOCESE NAME] and have received approval from [DIOCESE-LEVEL APPROVER], [DIOCESE–LEVEL APPROVER POSITION] to contact you regarding your school's participation. It is extremely important that studies attempting to represent U.S. school children include all schools, not just public schools. It is noteworthy that the SHPPS includes randomly selected Catholic schools. Without the involvement of Catholic schools, any conclusions drawn about our Nation’s schools are incomplete.
SHPPS is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs and practices and has been conducted since 1994. SHPPS helps us to understand how schools contribute to the health and well-being of our Nation’s young people and the communities they serve. The underlying assumptions behind SHPPS are that healthy students learn better and that a healthful school environment is more conducive to learning. SHPPS is conducted under the authority of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 241).
The SHPPS 2012 study will assess the characteristics of eight components of school health programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels:
Health education
Physical education and activity
Health services
Mental health and social services
Healthy and safe school environment
Nutrition services
Faculty and staff health promotion
Family and community involvement
SHPPS does not involve a student survey. School staff will be interviewed in person during a convenient time at their school campus. Data from a nationally-representative sample of schools will be collected between February and May 2014. Study procedures are designed to allow for anonymous participation; states, districts, schools, and staff will not be identified in any published reports. SHPPS will also include an observational component to supplement information obtained during the interviews, which will consist of documenting the foods and beverages students have access to during the school day through vending machines.
Enclosed is an informational packet about the study, which contains questionnaire content outlines, a study fact sheet, a respondent identification form, and two articles published in the Journal of the National Catholic Educational Association, Momentum, based on SHPPS 2006 data. Results from SHPPS will be available by the fall of 2015 and will be available on the CDC’s web site. SHPPS data will be used to help improve school health policies and programs nationwide.
Within a few days, a representative from ICF International will call you to confirm your school’s participation in SHPPS, identify the appropriate personnel to complete the in-person interviews, and discuss any questions that you might have. If you have any immediate questions please contact Alice Roberts at ICF International, toll-free at 800-287-1815. You also may contact Dr. Nancy Brener of the CDC at 770-488-6184. For additional information about SHPPS, please visit the study web site: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps/.
Sincerely yours,
Howell Wechsler, Ed. D., M.P.H.
Director
Division of Adolescent and School Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Enclosures
cc: [DIOCESES APPROVAL NAME, ORGANIZATION]
[HEAD OF DIOCESE, ORGANIZATION]
[STATE CDC/DASH CONTACT NAME, ORGANIZATION]
[STATE CC 1 NAME, ORGANIZATION]
Nancy Brener, CDC/DASH
Alice Roberts, ICF International
RECRUITMENT LETTER TO PRIVATE, NON-CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
Dear [TITLE] [LAST NAME]:
I am writing to inform you that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be conducting the School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) during the 2013-2014 school year. The purpose of this letter is to invite your school to participate in the SHPPS.
Your school has been randomly selected to participate in the study, along with approximately 800 other schools nationwide. It is extremely important that studies attempting to represent U.S. school children include all schools, not just public schools. It is noteworthy that the SHPPS includes randomly selected private schools. Without the involvement of private schools, any conclusions drawn about our Nation’s schools are incomplete.
SHPPS is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs and practices and has been conducted since 1994. SHPPS helps us to understand how schools contribute to the health and well-being of our Nation’s young people and the communities they serve. The underlying assumptions behind SHPPS are that healthy students learn better and that a healthful school environment is more conducive to learning. SHPPS is conducted under the authority of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 241).
The SHPPS study will assess the characteristics of eight components of school health programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels:
Health education
Physical education and activity
Health services
Mental health and social services
Healthy and safe school environment
Nutrition services
Faculty and staff health promotion
Family and community involvement
SHPPS does not involve a student survey. School staff will be interviewed in person during a convenient time at their school campus. Data from a nationally-representative sample of schools will be collected between February and May 2014. Study procedures are designed to allow for anonymous participation; states, districts, schools, and staff will not be identified in any published reports. SHPPS will also include an observational component to supplement information obtained during the interviews, which will consist of documenting the foods and beverages students have access to during the school day through vending machines.
Enclosed is an informational packet about the study, which contains questionnaire content outlines, a study fact sheet, and a respondent identification form. Results from SHPPS will be available by the fall of 2015 and will be available on the CDC’s web site. SHPPS data will be used to help improve school health policies and programs nationwide.
Within a few days, a representative from ICF International will call you to confirm your school’s participation in SHPPS, identify the appropriate personnel to complete interviews, and discuss any questions that you might have. If you have any immediate questions please contact Alice Roberts at ICF International, toll-free at 800-287-1815. You also may contact Dr. Nancy Brener of the CDC at 770-488-6184. For additional information about SHPPS, please visit the study web site: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps/.
Sincerely yours,
Howell Wechsler, Ed. D., M.P.H.
Acting Director
Division of Adolescent and School Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Enclosures
cc: Nancy Brener, CDC/DASH
Alice Roberts, ICF International
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | Andrea Velissarios |
| Last Modified By | Alice Roberts |
| File Modified | 2012-12-13 |
| File Created | 2012-12-13 |