The New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) mission continues to remain in direct and strong alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) goal of improving health and educational outcomes of youth through school-based survey surveillance. This grant application is seeking support for New York State (NYS) to continue the administration and implementation of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) on odd years (2019, 2021, 2023), and the School Health Profiles Survey (Profiles), on even years (2020, 2022), with the goal of successfully achieving weighted data. As part of this funding opportunity, the NYSED will collect, analyze, and extensively disseminate valid and reliable data information across the State in both electronic and hard copy formats, promoting gap analysis assessments positively influencing data-driven decisions. This grant will provide the NYSED with an opportunity to continue close collaborations on survey surveillance and outcomes based on data-driven decisions with the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, the New York City Department of Education and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Evidenced by a comprehensive paradigm of planning involving numerous multi-faceted pathways and partnerships across the State, the obtaining and promoting of data remains a critical priority embedded in the strategic vision of the NYSED. To move forward towards closing disparity gaps while promoting health and academic achievement for all youth, the data achieved from the YRBS and Profiles will assist school districts, and the State at large, to engage in self-assessment positively impacting programs. By focusing efforts on reliable, valid, and evidence-based data, the NYSED will have the ability to continue supporting, strengthening and improving school health programs, policies and practices by promoting data-driven decisions. Ongoing planning, evaluation and performance measures will demonstrate not only achievement outcomes, but program intervention driving program improvement and professional development to positively impacting the overall integrity of the State’s strategic plan. Through this process, the NYSED will be able to clearly define threats, and challenges within the context of program goals and strategies, thus being informed to align future year program objectives, activities and outcomes for success. The NYSED will seek to acquire and leverage federal, state, and local funds when applicable, to enhance the application of results of the YRBS and Profiles data. This will be accomplished by actively seeking opportunities and through program awareness throughout the State.