Research & Surveys

Conducting Research and Surveys at Tacoma Public Schools

Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) is an innovative district that serves approximately 30,000 students from preschool through grade 12 across 56 comprehensive schools. At TPS, we are dedicated to developing the Whole Child and recognize the immense value of relevant and valid research. We are committed to facilitating appropriate research and survey activities that support our primary goal: educating Every Student, Every Day.

We are excited to support initiatives that contribute to the continuous improvement of our educational environment.

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research at tps

Surveys at tps

Participation & Consent

Participation in research studies and surveys at Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) is voluntary. We respect the rights of departments, schools, principals, teachers, staff, parents, and students who choose not to participate, and no pressure will be applied to encourage participation.

TPS adheres to all state and federal regulations regarding the release of confidential student data, and many legal guidelines have been drawn from the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Information for Potential Participants

Information for Potential Participants

If a research project involves the direct participation of staff, students, or parents, participants must receive and sign an Informed Consent Form provided by the researcher. This form will include:

An option to indicate "I do not wish (my child) to participate."
Acknowledgment that the school district is neither sponsoring nor conducting the research.
A statement confirming there is no penalty for non-participation.
Notice that participants may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.

Staff, parents, and/or students invited to participate in research studies will be informed of the following:

The project's purpose.
How the participant was selected.
The procedures that will be followed, including a detailed description of the staff, student, and/or parent's involvement.
Anticipated benefits for the participant, the district, and/or the field of knowledge.
Recipients of research reports/results and potential uses.
Participant/parental rights to inspect materials before consent and the ability to withdraw consent at any time.
Contact information for questions before, during, and after the project.
Assurance that there are no adverse consequences for choosing not to participate.

Assessment & Research