The Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment or the director’s designee will be responsible for reviewing and approving requests to conduct external research in the Lincoln Public Schools. A Lincoln Public Schools Research Review Committee will be established to assist in the review process. The purpose of the review is to ensure that external research proposals do not unduly interfere with instruction or the operation of the school and that the rights of students, parents and staff are adequately protected. In the review process, priority will be given to research that is of interest to Lincoln Public Schools staff or that has direct application for the improvement of educational practice. Based on the review, the proposal will either be approved or disapproved.
External research is defined as research being conducted by individuals or by institutions other than the Lincoln Public Schools or Educational Service Unit 18 on behalf of the Lincoln Public Schools. Research conducted by District employees as part of their job responsibilities is considered to be District research and is not covered by this policy. However, research conducted by employees to meet course or graduation requirements of an institution of higher education is classified as external research.
Participation in research is defined as using instructional time on research-related activities including the collection of data; providing information about Lincoln Public Schools students, the District or a school; the completion of surveys distributed through school channels; and interviews conducted during the school day. It does not include the completion of surveys received through the U.S. mail by individual teachers or administrators or interviews conducted after normal school hours.
Participation of schools and individual staff in approved external research is voluntary. The building principal can decide whether or not his/her building and staff will participate in an approved external research project.
Requests to conduct research in the Lincoln Public Schools must be submitted in writing to the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment or the director’s designee at least 30 days before the study is scheduled to begin. The request must include (1) the name, address, telephone number, agency affiliation (if there is one) and signature of the primary investigator(s); (2) a brief description of the study that addresses objectives, rationale, procedures, and timelines; (3) detailed information on what is expected of the Lincoln Public Schools; (4) copies of all data collection instruments, parent/guardian/participant consent forms, and materials to be used with students.
Prior written consent of a parent or legal guardian will be required for student surveys, evaluations, questionnaires, opinionnaires, interviews or other assessments which include one or more questions regarding, or which may reveal information concerning the following protected areas (“protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED):
Parents/guardians and students shall be given notice of their right to opt out or not participate in other external research studies that concern:
All surveys, questionnaires, opinionnaires, interviews and other assessments administered during such evaluation and external research studies will be available for review by parents/legal guardians, and in the consent forms and annually in the same manner parents/guardians and students are informed of rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
All such external surveys, assessments and other data collection instruments shall be made available to parents and legal guardians for review prior to their use with students. The instruments will also be available for review for a reasonable period of time following their use with students. The researcher shall be required to make the instruments available to parents and legal guardians upon the school’s request.
The approximate dates of research and evaluation activities shall be throughout the school year. A schedule of known dates of activity shall be made available to students and parents and can be obtained at each school building or from the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment or the director’s designee (Lincoln Public Schools, 5905 “O” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68510).
Upon completion of the study, the primary investigator shall provide the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment or the director’s designee with a summary of findings and, upon request, provide a complete report of procedures and findings. The primary investigator shall also provide the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment or the director’s designee with advance copies of all articles and all presentations at national or regional conferences based on research either conducted exclusively in the district or in which the district is identified.