6:400 Instruction
(Acrobat File)
     
  Educational Research
All proposals for educationally-related research to be conducted within the District must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent or designee. This policy shall apply to research by District staff as well as outside agencies and shall apply to projects involving the gathering of data at any District school, opinion polls, personal interviews, or other efforts requiring access to confidential student or staff information.  Research by District students shall not be governed by this policy. Approved applications will require background security screenings in accordance with Board policy and/or Illinois School Code.

Application Process
Individuals requesting permission to conduct any research activity in the District must submit to the Superintendent or designee two (2) copies of the following:

  • 6:400 E  Application to Conduct  Research with all items completed. Applications must be signed by the principal investigator and other person ultimately responsible for the study (supervisor, agency head, or professor).
  • Complete research design including all data collection procedures (such as all questionnaires, forms, tests, and other instruments and communications) that would be part of the proposed study.
  • Supplementary materials as appropriate or as may be required by the Superintendent or designee.
District Review Process
The Superintendent or designee will review the application. The review process will take approximately four weeks. Proposals must demonstrate that the projected findings will have value to either the District as a whole or to a unit within the District and not be unduly time consuming or disruptive to the educational process.

The Superintendent or designee will notify the researcher of the District's decision. The notification will indicate the following:

  • Approval.  If the study is approved, the Superintendent or designee will notify principals in those buildings where the study is to be conducted. The approval will indicate the type of background security screening necessary prior to starting the research process.
  • Tentative Approval. If the study is approved with modification, the researcher must provide a written response indicating compliance with the modifications before final approval is granted.
  • Denial. The researcher will contact the appropriate principals or program managers to complete arrangements for conducting the study. Principals may deny approval in their schools except those studies mandated by the District.
Timing of Research
To avoid undue inconvenience to building personnel and students, no research activities by agencies outside the District will be allowed in the schools:
  • before October 1 or after May 1;
  • during scheduled parent-teacher conferences;
  • one week before winter and spring vacations;
  • where there are already a number of research projects under way or where a number of research projects have already been conducted in the previous five years.
  • as may be otherwise identified from time to time by the District

The provisions above shall not apply to:

  • Principals, program managers or school/parent organizations wishing to conduct surveys in their own schools for internal use only.
  • Management information surveys or studies by District staff within their own line of authority.

Participation.
Participation of staff, students and parents shall be voluntary.  If the study involves District students, provision for obtaining parental permission for participation must be addressed by the applicant.  In no case shall information gathered through a research study become part of any student's permanent school record or disseminated with any participant's name or other personally identifiable indicator.

Research Findings.

  • Data may be used only for the purposes of the study approved by the District.
  • The researcher will supply the District with one copy of the final report or abstract prior to publication.
  • The findings of any research conducted within the District will be available for District-wide use.

Indemnity
Agencies or individuals authorized to conduct research in the District must indemnify the District in writing against any and all claims occurring out of the authorized project except as specific waivers from indemnity are authorized by General Counsel.

LEGAL REFERENCE: C.R.S. 24-72-204(3)

Reviewed:
Adopted:  November 19, 2018
Revisions Adopted: