Research

Be prepared to provide the following information when submitting a research application. Additional information about the fields may be provided on the online application form:

• Research Title
• Name of Researcher, Position/Title
• Affiliated Institution/Agency
• Email address
• Office address & phone number
• Statement of Purpose
• Statement of Problem
• Research Design and Procedure
• Plans for Reporting Results/Findings
• Details of Data Request
• Proposed Timeline
• Protection of Human Rights / IRB Approvals if applicable
• Details of Participant Involvement if applicable
• Communication Methods
• Connection to TPS Benchmark (see above)
• Impact of Results
• Cost Impact

• DART will contact researcher with questions and/or to request additional information, if needed.
• Researcher will be notified of the application decision within one month. Potential decisions include:
  • Approval
  • Request for adjustments to research design
  • Rejection. TPS reserves the right to reject applications for any reason, including lack of district resources and proposed research projects that are incomplete or do not align with TPS interests. If a rejected application is resubmitted in a subsequent window, it will be treated as a new application.
• If the application is approved by DART, researcher must sign and submit MOU & DSA forms to initiate a secondary district-level review process.

• Researchers will be required to sign and submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) & Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) form, agreeing to abide by related district policies and procedures.
• Some approved research projects may also require:
  • Proof of approval from the researcher's Institutional Review Board
  • A background check
  • Fingerprint records (for research involving one-on-one interviews with students)

• TPS complies with all state and federal regulations regarding the release of confidential student or staff data. Much of the TPS legal framework for data release is based upon the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

  See also:
  • Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
  • TPS Policy No. 6750: Research, Survey and Data Request Management

Participation in research projects is voluntary. Schools, principals, teachers, parents and students who do not wish to participate have a right to refusal. Pressure shall not be applied to promote participation.

Parents of students asked to participate in research projects and the students themselves, when appropriate, should be informed of the following:

• Project's purpose
• How student was selected
• Procedures to be followed, including a precise description of the student's involvement
• Anticipated benefits for general knowledge, the student, and the district
• To whom results will be available and for what purpose
• Participant or parental rights to inspect materials before issuing consent, and right to withdraw consent at any time
• Person to whom inquiries should be addressed before, during, and after the project
• Lack of adverse consequences for failure to participate

For any research project involving the direct participation of students and/or parents, researchers are required to create an Informed Consent Form. These forms are reviewed and approved by prior to distribution to participants for signature.

​Informed Consent Form shall acquaint the participant with the research project and must contain:

• "I do not wish (my child) to participate" option
• Acknowledgement that the school district is neither sponsoring nor conducting this research
• Statement that there is no penalty for not participating
• Notice that participants may withdraw from the research at any time without penalty

• An electronic copy of the completed study shall be submitted to the Assessment & Research Department
• All related data and documents shall be destroyed upon completion

Analyzing Interview Data

The Power of Listening in Evaluation

Participatory Action Research and Evaluation model described by Organizing Engagement

NVivo Podcast - Between the Data conversations with qualitative researchers to discover their innovative research methods, applied practices and passionate insights.