As you know Missouri schools are required to give the Safe and Drug Free student survey every other year. We will be giving the survey during February 2008.

You will remember that positive parental permission is required for each student taking the survey. We suggest that you include a permission form with the materials sent home at the beginning of the school year.

You will find a sample form letter on the Federal Instructional Improvement page under Prevention. If you wish, you may use the link:  http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/instrucimprov/prevention/sdfscstudentsurvey.htm.


The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Department of Mental Health and Title IV are providing schools with SmartTrack, an Internet-based survey that will populate a uniform statewide database for substance abuse prevalence and associated risk and protective factors among students in grades 6-12.

SmartTrack benefits you in the following ways:

-Data will be collected quickly and easily -Allows you to determine and prove a "population in need" necessary for writing grants -Data will be instrumental (and possibly mandatory as early as next year) in applying for funds

-Surveys are student-friendly and teacher-friendly -Surveys are totally anonymous (the only demographic information collected is race, sex, and grade) -Gives you feedback to determine which programs are effective in your school and which are not -Information is immediately available to you in a variety of reports, and you can even ask direct questions of specific populations.

-This is information you need, and it is free.

You will receive details on how to implement the survey later this fall.

We are asking that you give the survey to grade 9 and two other grade levels, one of which is an even numbered year. Remember, you must have positive consent forms for each student taking the survey.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please do not hesitate to call. We look forward to working with you.