7th and 8th grade Cornell Study/Survey – Opt Out
During the week of May 1, our 7th and 8th graders will be working with the Adolescent Transitions Lab at Cornell University to learn more about kids’ experience during the middle school years. Please see below with their informational letter and how to participate or opt out.
We want to know what kids think and feel about this time in their lives. The title of the study is “The Experience of Puberty” and is being conducted by Jane Mendle and the Adolescent Transitions Laboratory research team.
We would like to ask students to answer questions about their lives right now, including questions about changes in their emotions, relationships, and bodies. Your child’s answers will remain private, so that only members of our research team will be able to see their answers (and each student will receive a study number so their name will not be connected with their answers). Teachers and other kids will not have access to your child’s answers. We expect that the survey will take 25-30 minutes.
There are no known risks to your child from participating in this study. Your child will not directly benefit from this research; however, participation may benefit others by informing development of future instructional materials and processes to help kids navigate the changes that occur at and around puberty. Your child can decide to answer these questions, or they can choose not to answer any questions that they do not wish to answer. There is no consequence for students who choose not to participate.
The research team is happy to answer any questions you have about the study. Questions about the survey or the Adolescent Transitions Laboratory can be directed to Jane Medle, Director, at jem482@cornell.edu or Kathleen McCormick at kcm65@cornell.edu or 585-831-6052. If you wish to share a complaint or concern, please contact the Cornell Institutional Review Board for Human Participants at irbhp@cornell.educ or by calling 1-866-293-3077.
If you agree to letting your child participate, you do not need to do anything. All students will be invited to participate (during HPE class), and youth will be allowed to participate (or not) if they agree to taking part.
If you do not want your child to participate, please let us know by Friday, April 28th. Please email, Kristin Lee, counselor at klee@atlncs.org with the subject line “Opt out” and include your child’s name so that we can ensure they do not receive the survey.