The Colorado Prevention Partnership grant requires that Colorado participate in a national evaluation and to collect National Outcome Measures relevant to substance use prevention.  The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) is a key part of this evaluation.  Participating CPP communities will administer the HKCS annually.  In addition, the HKCS will be administered to a statewide sample every two years, the next administration of which is scheduled for the 2006-07 school year.

The development and administration of HKCS has been supported and approved by a number of Colorado state agencies including the Departments of Education, Public Health and Environment, Human Services (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division), and Public Safety (Division of Criminal Justice, Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice Assistance).  The HKCS comprises key elements of multiple surveys previously used in Colorado, allowing schools to administer a single survey that addresses all outcomes of interest.  The HKCS contains items from the Colorado Youth Survey (based on the risk and protective factor framework), the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (from the Centers for Disease Control) and asset and resiliency scales.  There are two versions of the HCKS, a middle school version and a high school version (the middle school version does not include questions regarding driving habits or sexual behavior). 

The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey will be administered to School District 49 and 50 middle and high school students in the Fall, 2006.  It will be administered in School District 51 at West, Grand Mesa and East Middle schools in the Fall, 2006.  A sampling of high school students will be administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in the Spring, 2007 as part of the Steps to a Healthier Colorado project.

In following years, the HKCS will be administered to middle and high school students in the fall of each school year through 2008. 

Benefits of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey:

• Locally Relevant Data: Local health and behavior estimates will support planning and decision-making processes
• Minimal Disruption to classroom instructional time (45 minute administration of paper and pencil survey)
• User-Friendly Survey Reports: Easy to read school-level and district wide survey data reports

To learn more go to www2.omni.org/survey.php