Who should complete this survey?
This survey should be completed by the school nurse or school health administrator at all public, private, and charter schools in Massachusetts serving children in grades K-8. We do not collect this data from collaborative schools.
Who should be counted in asthma and/or diabetes counts?
When counting students with asthma and/or diabetes, please count students that have ever been identified by a clinician as having asthma or diabetes. A record of a past or present asthma action plan or a past or present diagnosis of asthma or diabetes on a physical would indicate an asthma or diabetes case to include in this survey. This may be a report from a parent/guardian that the child was diagnosed with asthma or diabetes, but it should not include a parent/guardian simply speculating that their child has asthma or diabetes without ever having been given a diagnosis from a clinician.
This survey does not count the following:
- Students with reactive airway disease (RAD)
- Students who use an inhaler for seasonal allergies
- Students who have a rescue inhaler with no asthma diagnosis
- Students who are pre-diabetic
What if I do not have any cases of either asthma or diabetes at my school?
You must still complete the survey and indicate there are no asthma or diabetes counts to report. After you provide your school and contact information, you will be asked “Does this school have students in K-8 who have asthma or diabetes?” You will select “no” and “submit” the survey.
What if I have students with asthma or diabetes who live out-of-state?
Only students who live in Massachusetts should be included in asthma and/or diabetes counts.
My school doesn’t follow a traditional grading system. How do I complete this survey for my school?
You can follow this guide to assign ungraded students:
|
5 years old = Kindergarten |
8 years old = Grade 3 |
11 years old = Grade 6 |
|
6 years old = Grade 1 |
9 years old = Grade 4 |
12 years old = Grade 7 |
|
7 years old = Grade 2 |
10 years old = Grade 5 |
13 & 14 years old = Grade 8 |
What if my school is not listed as an option?
First, please make sure to select the city/town the school is physically located in (including regional schools) and not the city/town the students live in. If you do not see your school listed after selecting the city/town the school is physically located in, please select the “School Not Listed” option. If you continue with the survey, the next page will ask you to enter the required school information including DESE School Code, School Name, School Address, School City/Town, and School ZIP Code.
How do I find my school’s DESE School Code?
To determine DESE School Code:
- Contact your school's administrative office
-OR-
- Visit the DESE website here
- From the drop-down, select the school type (public, private, charter...).
- Select school from the alphabetized list.
- The DESE school code is the 8-digit number in the parenthesis after the school name, indicated with a black arrow in the example image below
- Please note that non-public schools may not have a DESE School Code listed.
How do I find student's gender identity information?
Student gender identity is found on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Student Information Form. Additional information and definitions are provided here by DESE. For the purposes of this survey, student gender should be reported the same way it is reported for school enrollment because the gender categories in this survey are the same categories provided by DESE for student enrollment data (i.e., Male, Female, Non-Binary). For this reason, this survey uses the following DESE definition for the “Non-Binary” gender category: “Individual does not identify as just female or male.” However, we recognize that gender is a multi-dimensional construct that includes identity (e.g., man, woman, genderqueer, nonbinary) and expression (e.g., masculine, feminine, neither masculine nor feminine, or both masculine and feminine, or something else through appearance and behavior) and that gender identity may or may not correspond in a traditional sense with the person’s assigned sex at birth.
Why does this survey collect student’s race/ethnicity?
Race and ethnicity data helps us better understand whether racial and ethnic disparities exist relevant to pediatric asthma and diabetes. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) acknowledges that race is a social construct which carries no biological significance in distinguishing human beings. However, many health inequities are rooted in the effects of racism experienced by people of color. MDPH collects race information to better understand these health inequities.
What if I don’t know student’s race/ethnicity?
Do not guess or assign a race/ethnicity category yourself. Contact your school’s administrative office for accurate race/ethnicity information. If this information cannot be found, record the race/ethnicity as "unknown."
Why do I have to complete multiple surveys?
For this survey, you need to complete multiple survey entries when you have students with asthma and/or diabetes who reside in more than one city/town. You will complete a separate survey for each city/town that students with asthma and/or diabetes live in.
- Complete only one survey if all students with asthma and/or diabetes live in the same city/town.
- Complete multiple surveys if students with asthma and/or diabetes live in multiple cities/towns. A survey must be submitted for each city/town of student residence.
How do I complete a survey for another city/town of student residence?
After you submit your first survey, a screen will appear with a button to submit more surveys for another city/town of student residence. You can also start a new survey with the original survey link. First, select your school based on where your school is physically located, then select “Add a survey for another city/town of residence.” On one of the following pages, it will ask you to select the city/town of student residence. Continue completing the survey and this same process for each additional city/town of student residence, as needed.
Can I revise the answers in my survey after I submitted it?
After you submit your survey but before closing the browser, a survey URL and return code will be provided. Save this return code for your records. You will also receive an automated email with the survey URL and return code to return to your completed survey. Use that link and return code to revise your survey later. Please note, if you completed multiple surveys for different cities/towns, each survey will have a unique URL link and return code. Please ensure you are revising the correct city/town of student residence survey.
Can I start a survey for a particular city/town of student residence but finish it later?
Yes. Select the “Save and Continue” button at the bottom of the page and save the return code. A survey link will be emailed to you (but the return code will not be provided in the automated email for incomplete surveys.) Please note if you have completed multiple surveys for different cities/towns of student residence, each survey will have a unique URL link and return code. Please ensure you are working in the correct city/town of student residence survey.
What if I lost the survey link and return code to an incomplete survey?
If you did not finish your survey and do not have the survey link and return code, you will not be able to access your incomplete survey. You will have to start over with a new survey. You can start a new survey here.
Can I complete surveys for each city/town of student residence at my school at different times?
To complete another survey for a different city/town of student residence at another time, you will start a new survey here. After selecting your school, select “Add a survey for another city/town of residence.” Continue completing the survey for each additional city/town of student residence, repeating as needed.
Will I receive a confirmation email that includes the data I submitted for my records?
You will receive a confirmation email for each survey you complete. However, this email will not include any of the data you submitted in your survey. To save a copy of the data for your records you have two options:
- Use the CTRL+P keys on the “Final Review” page to print and/or save before you submit your survey.
- Print out and complete the Survey Worksheet for your records.
How do I increase the survey font size?
To increase the font size of the survey throughout, click on the plus (+) sign next to this symbol (see below), found in the upper right-hand corner, starting on the page that asks for grade, enrollment, and contact information.
Who can I contact if I have questions or issues?
Email ped.asthma@mass.gov or call 617-624-5757 and ask to speak with the Pediatric Asthma and Diabetes Survey Coordinator (Email is preferred.)