October 13, 2021 – Iowa Youth Survey Update

Central DeWitt Families,

As our 6th, 8th, and 11th Grade parents know, information was recently sent out from our school district regarding the Iowa Youth Survey (IYS).  Parents of students in these grade levels were informed that we would be administering the IYS in late October, and they were given the opportunity to opt their students out of taking the survey.  None of our students have taken the survey yet this year.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the IYS, it is a state-wide survey where students in 6th, 8th, and 11th grade are asked about their attitudes and experiences regarding alcohol and other drug use and violence, and their perceptions of their peer, family, school, and neighborhood/community environments.  The IYS has been given statewide in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and is scheduled for 2021 after it was postponed in 2020.

School districts then receive a report of how our local students answered the questions.  I have attached the survey results for our school district from 2018.  The Iowa Department of Public Health also puts together reports for each county and the state.

The following is a link to a video regarding how the results of the survey are used at the state level.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-58CBxavtU

Our school district is  not going to continue administering the Iowa Youth Survey in our school district.  I have carefully examined the survey results from the past as well as the questions that our students would be asked in this year’s survey.

Each time the survey has been given, there are more questions asked, and it gets into more graphic, specific questions.  This has changed gradually over time, and I feel it’s time that I make a change for our school district.

I am uncomfortable with several of the questions our students are asked in this survey (drug and alcohol use, paraphernalia use, sexual activity, sexual orientation, etc.), and it’s time for our school district to part ways with the Iowa Youth Survey.  There are topics in this survey that many of our students would know nothing about, and I have no interest in putting these things in the minds of our students to wonder about.  They are exposed to enough at younger ages all the time as it is.

Although parents have been notified already of when the survey would take place, and how they can opt out, after talking with our administrative team and individual school board members, I am making the decision to opt our entire district out of taking the Iowa Youth Survey.

In order for our school district to participate, we would have to see an educational need to participate.  We do not see this with the Iowa Youth Survey.  We can, and do, gather more relevant and timely information directly from our students as we strive to have strong relationships with each of them.

If you have further questions about the Iowa Youth Survey, or why we’re not going to be administering it, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Dr. Daniel J. Peterson, Superintendent

January 4, 2018 – Weather Related Decisions