Schools Role: Why is the survey conducted through schools?
Youth substance use is both a community problem and a problem for schools. To address it requires cooperative efforts of schools and community experts, at both the local and state level. The Illinois State Board of Education has always supported DASA/DHSs survey efforts, and we share the aggregated state results with them, but it is our responsibility to conduct the survey. If we were to use an alternate approach, such as a phone survey, the result would be: • We would not be able to produce as valid a survey, as no other approach offers the anonymity and degree of participation as a classroom survey. • DHS would have to pay a lot more money for these less valid results, due to the time and expense involved in other kinds of surveys. • Schools would not have the benefit of the results for their district. Lighthouse and the state DHS have therefore decided to proceed and conduct this survey with those districts interested in participating. We hope the availability of local statistics wi
Youth substance use is a problem shared by schools, communities, families and individuals. To address it requires the cooperative effort of all involved, but local and state level efforts especially require the cooperation of school and community experts. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has always supported the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) survey efforts, and both ISBE and DHS use the aggregated statewide results in program planning and evaluation. However, it is our responsibility (Lighthouse Institutes) to administer the survey. If we were to use an alternate approach, such as a phone survey, the result would be: • We would not be able to produce as valid a survey, as no other approach offers the anonymity and degree of participation as a classroom survey. • DHS would have to pay a lot more money for these less valid results, due to the time and expense involved in other kinds of surveys. • Schools would not have the benefit of the results for their distri
