Procedure: 2130P

Section: 2000 – Instruction

Title: Guidelines For Requesting To Conduct Research and/or Special Projects in the Ferndale Public Schools

Status: Active

Adopted: January 25,1988

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Procedure - Guidelines For Requesting To Conduct Research and/or Special Projects in the Ferndale Public Schools

     I. Request From Outside The Ferndale School District

A. Individuals wishing to conduct any study or special projects in Ferndale Public Schools are to submit to the assistant superintendent's office three typed copies of the following:

1. District Research/Project Application form;

2. All questionnaires, forms, tests and communications that will be used in the proposed study;

3. Synopsis of the proposed study.

Application forms may be obtained from the Personnel Office, Administrative Center, 6041 Vista Drive.

B. Research applications must have the signature and title of the researcher's supervisor or study advisory, if applicable.

C. The assistant superintendent will review the request and, when appropriate, submit the proposed study for review by district specialists and/or building principals. The application and recommendations will then be submitted to the superintendent for a final decision. This process will take approximately three weeks to complete.

D. When a decision has been reached, notification of approval or denial will be sent to the researcher. If the study is approved, the superintendent, or designee, will notify principals in whose schools or programs the study will be conducted.

E The researcher will contact the appropriate principals to complete arrangements for conducting the study. Building principals will be responsible to ensure the researcher conducts the survey.

F. The researcher will supply the assistant superintendent with one copy of the abstract of the final report.

    II. Requests From Within The Ferndale School District

A. Principals may conduct surveys in their own schools for internal information purposes and are responsible for any such surveys initiated by their staff members.

B. Principals may conduct parent or community surveys. However, a copy of the survey is to be sent to the superintendent for perusal before it is distributed in the community.

C. Staff members wishing to conduct a study in Ferndale Public Schools are to submit to the assistant superintendent's office three copies of the following:

1. District Research/Project Application form;

2. All questionnaires, forms, tests and communications that will be used in the proposed study;

3. Synopsis of the proposed study.

Application forms may be obtained from the Personnel Office, Administrative Center, 6041 Vista Drive.

D. Research/project applications must have the signature and title of the researcher's supervisor or study advisor, if applicable.

E. The assistant superintendent will review the request and, when appropriate, submit the proposed study for review by district specialists and/or building principals. The application and recommendations will then be submitted to the superintendent for a final decision. This process will take approximately three weeks to complete.

F. When a decision has been reached, notification of approval or denial will be sent to the researcher. If the study is approved, the superintendent, or designee, will notify principals in whose schools or programs the study will be conducted.

G. The researcher will contact the appropriate principal(s) to complete arrangements for conducting the study. Building principals will be responsible to ensure the researcher conducts the study within the agreed upon conditions.

H. The researcher will supply the assistant superintendent with one copy of the abstract of the final report.

III. General Requirements

A. All principals have the option to refuse to allow surveys/research to be conducted in their schools/programs except for those approved by the school board or superintendent.

B. To avoid undue inconvenience to building personnel and students, generally surveys/research projects will not be allowed in a school:

1. Prior to October 1 or after May 15 (to accommodate the opening and closing of schools);

2. December 20 - January 7 and March 28 - April 15 (to meet vacation scheduling demands);

3. Where there are already a number of surveys/research projects underway or a number of surveys/research projects have recently been conducted.

C. Adequate safeguards must be taken to ensure that the personal rights of students and/or district employees will not be violated in any way as a result of research or the publication of its findings.

1. No test, questionnaire or survey containing any questions about a student's personal beliefs or practices concerning sex, family life, morality or religion, or any questions about his/her parent's or guardian's beliefs or practices in the same, shall be administered to any student in the public schools of Ferndale unless the parent or guardian gives written permission for the student to complete such test, questionnaire, or survey. A copy of all signed parent permission forms must be submitted to the principal prior to commencing the project and then forwarded to the assistant superintendent's office.

2. The following statement is to be on all parent permission forms:

In accordance with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, information sent by the Ferndale School District may not be shared with any other party without the written consent of the parents, or the student if the student is 18 years of age or older.

D. If the applicant is affiliated with an institution where specific approval for research in human subjects must be obtained, a copy of such approval must be forwarded to the assistant superintendent before final school district approval will be granted.

E. Because of the length of time involved in processing research applications, doctoral candidates may submit applications prior to the approval of their prospectus with the understanding that final district approval is contingent upon the applicant's committee approval.

 

Adopted: 01/25/1988