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District survey finds about one-quarter of students screen positive on risky internet-use screener; protective factors rising
Summary
A combined-district presentation showed roughly 25% of students in several schools scored 3 or higher on a three-question risky-internet screener, prompting recommendations for follow-up evaluation and expanded middle-school mental-health supports; the district highlighted rising protective factors and mapped grant-funded outreach for parents and schools.
A district presenter reported that this year's student wellness and digital-behavior data found that roughly one in four students at several schools screened positive on a three-question risky-internet-use screener, triggering recommendation for additional evaluation using the longer 18-item PRIUS follow-up.
The presenter said, "If you score more than the 3, asking these 3 questions on this scale, then it indicates a need for potentially additional evaluation," and walked the committee through school-by-school counts and percentages reported by the survey.
The presentation listed sample counts cited by the presenter: 126 Milliken students scored 3 or higher (reported as 25% of that school population), 97 Trottier students scored 3 or higher (reported as 25%), and 386 high-school students scored 3 or higher. The presenter also flagged out-of-school phone use: 43% of high-school students, 47% at Milliken, and 49% at Triad reported three or more hours per day on smartphones for non-school purposes.
While raising concerns about phone use, the presenter emphasized positive trends in protective factors: students reported more trusted adults, greater feelings of safety and belonging, and other supports. "A caring adult in your life is the number 1 protective factor," the presenter said, and listed district programs in place: K—2 SEL curriculum, SOS signs-of-suicide screenings (7th, 9th and 11th grades), a youth-wellness coach at the high school supported by Mass General Hospital, DA presentations on healthy relationships and cyberbullying, a digital-wellness subcommittee, and community partnerships including Southborough Youth & Family Services and Northborough Health and Human Services.
Committee members asked technical questions about measurement and timing. One member asked whether the clinical GAD-2 metric accounts for differences between self-reported stress and clinical anxiety; another noted the survey was taken in November and suggested midterm timing could affect stress measures. The presenter said deeper statistical analysis and cohort tracking are planned and that epidemiologists and a Trendline contractor will dig into the data.
The committee discussed next steps for family engagement and outreach. Members recommended using MetroWest Foundation infographics and the district's new interactive dashboard to highlight take-home points for parents, and noted two grant streams under consideration'a noncompetitive MetroWest allocation for participating districts and an attorney-general grant to support teacher leadership on cell-phone strategies. The presenter said the full datasets and dashboards will be posted online and that subcommittees will run additional analysis ahead of the fall combined meeting.
