Active consent in urban elementary schools: an examination of demographic differences in consent rates

The consent process is an integral piece of research and evaluation studies, especially when conducted within a school setting. The challenge of reaching parents of students to obtain consent is an issue with which those conducting school-based studies grapple. The literature suggests that the success of the consent process can affect the representativeness of the sample. This study describes one consent approach and examines the demographic differences between the eligible population, the consenters and the refusers. Demographic differences were found between consenters and refusers and suggestions are offered for further research and for other researchers who conduct school-based projects.