Parent Communication & Consent

Parent/Guardian Communication & Consent is essential to successful administration of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS).

We recommend parent communication that is:

• repeated,

• multi-platform (email, text, private parent online platform, hard copy, etc.),

• and follows district policy.
   

When will parents be able to view consent letters?

At a minimum, the Parent/Guardian Consent Letter needs to be distributed to parents of all students scheduled to take the HKCS. We recommend the letter is sent out at least 2 weeks in advance of the survey date, but please consult district policy in case the local timeline is different. Advance notice allows parents a chance to review the survey instrument, ask questions, and if they choose, to request that their student not participate.

In 2023, each participating district and school will receive a customized Parent/Guardian Consent Letter with the district-specific survey version linked. Please use the district-specific letter emailed to you from CSPHSurveyTeam@CUAnschutz.edu. In addition to the consent letter and the copy of the survey described above, we also encourage you to share the Parent FAQ's.

​

Who is responsible for sending out parent consent letters?

Depending on district preference, parent communication can be coordinated at the district, school, or classroom level. At any level, we recommend that parent communication is coordinated, and that staff expected to answer questions about the survey are well supported with a clear understanding of district expectations and access to the district-specific survey version and other supporting documents. 

​

Approaches to parent communication vary by district preference and capacity:

• some districts with communications specialists on staff create a plan and centralize through the district office

• some districts ask each participating school to communicate through their typical channels and track parent consent electronically

• some schools ask classroom teachers to distribute hard copies of the parent consent letter and track any that are returned.