Research

Our guidelines seek to balance the need for advancement through research with our overriding priority of uninterrupted instructional activities that maximize student learning.  The District goal is to serve our schools and our focus is on student achievement.

For those reasons:

• Interference with school instruction and operations must be kept to an absolute minimum.  The Columbia Public School District prohibits the use of visual or audio recording equipment on district property or at district activities by outside entities without permission from the superintendent or designee unless otherwise authorized by law.  This prohibition shall not apply to recording of staff and students for research purposes and by pre-service education professionals when consent from all relevant parties, including parents, is secured.  Board of Education Policy KKB
• Due to the number of research requests the District receives, our ability to review and support external research projects, and to provide student data and data that require substantial manipulation (e.g., merging different data sources or across multiple years), is limited.
• CPS reserves the right to charge fees at any time for data and research requests not covered by the Freedom of Information Act.  Requesters will be notified of the cost prior to the agreement/approval being reached.  
• Potential researchers should be aware that permission to do research is a multi-step process, and permission to conduct research in the District does not guarantee any individual school's willingness to participate.  Although all submissions must be approved by the Research Request Committee, the principal of a school will have the final decision in regard to their school's participation.

The Columbia Public Schools Research Request Committee is committed to protecting CPS students and staff, their privacy, and that of their data.

• Requesters have the right, consistent with scientific standards, to publish, present, or use results from the research or data analysis, but only if the publication, presentation or use does not permit personal identification of CPS students or their parents by individuals other than representatives of the requester.  CPS may require that schools or the District not be identified. 
• In some instances, and at its sole discretion, CPS retains the right to approve proposed publications or presentations, as well as co-authorship with CPS staff.   Researchers must submit findings to their assigned CPS contact as well as oral and/or written dissemination of findings as agreed upon in the research proposal.  Those who do not abide by this requirement may be denied research opportunities in the future.
• For multi-year projects, the requester must agree to provide annual interim reports to CPS for internal use.  If CPS does not receive any updates, the Research Request Committee may choose not to fulfill subsequent data requests or to terminate the project.
• Surveys and questionnaires asked of teachers/staff may not be conducted January 15 - April 15 each academic year.  
• No research will be approved that takes place during mandatory State assessments and other local formative assessments.  These dates can be found on our District posted Assessment Calendar.
• CPS reserves the right to restrict survey and interview topics for any reason at any time.
• No compensation may be offered for staff time during contract hours; however, compensation is acceptable for time spent outside of contract hours.

The Columbia Public Schools (CPS) has established requirements for requesters applying for authorization to conduct research and/or to receive data CPS has deemed confidential, personal, and private, and to ensure compliance with Federal and Missouri laws and regulations and CPS policies.

There are both legal and ethical reasons behind the District's efforts to establish requirements to control and monitor research in the schools.

• The legal background stems from provisions of The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that affords parents and students certain rights regarding student records, the administration of surveys, and the collection and use of personal information.  (Statute: 20 U.S.C. 1232g. Regulations: 34 CFR, Part 99).
• Additional legal background stems from the provisions of the Federal Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (20 U.S.C. § 123h; 34 CRF Part 98).  CPS follows PPRA adherence to specific standards when a survey, analysis, or evaluation is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Confidential Data are:
  • Any student records which contain Personally Identifiable Information, as that term is defined by 34 CFR 99.3 of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act;
  • Any employment records which contain individual level data (i.e. information about individual employees); and 
  • Aggregate data constructed from students or employment records comprising a group size of fewer than ten individuals.
• CPS District Policy LC, Relations with Educational Research Agencies, states that the superintendent is authorized to cooperate as far as possible with colleges, universities and other recognized research agencies in promoting potentially useful research.  Because of the large number of requests for studies in the Columbia Public School District, it is necessary to limit the number and establish guidelines for the approval of studies.  A committee will be established to consider requests to conduct research.  (See also Board Policies: IICC: School Volunteers,  KK:  Visitors to District Property/Events, GBEBC:  Criminal Background Checks)
• Columbia Public Schools requires that research be well designed, adhere to child protection laws, not place unreasonable demands on students, staff, or parents nor interfere with regular system operations, and it must be in the interests of the school system to participate. Research should support CPS goals.  See also: CPS Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
• Unsolicited research proposals from individuals or organizations independent of the Columbia Public Schools must be affiliated with an organization that has an Institutional Review Board (IRB).  IRB approval is required before research proposals can be accepted.
• Decisions in connection with research involving parents, students or staff members will be influenced by the following factors:
  • The objectives of the research should be clearly stated, and the design should produce valid and reliable results which will be made available to the Columbia Public School District.
  • The research should be expected to contribute to the welfare of children and align with the District's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. 
  • Personally identifiable student records will be made available only with the consent of parents.  Statistical information connected to no individual names may be released.
  • Research proposals should be of sufficient scope and depth to justify the time and effort of students and staff members.
  • In general, instructional activities will not be interrupted unless there is a clear significance for the educational program of the Columbia schools.
  • Projects involving university student researchers must have prior written approval by the appropriate faculty member of the institution in which the student is enrolled.  This faculty member must have direct responsibility related to the student's research.
  • In addition to obtaining consent/assent for participation, parents must sign a Parent Release of Data for Research in the Columbia Public Schools if the research requires access to individually identifiable data.  
  • A Statement of Nondisclosure for Columbia Public Schools Educational Data is also required.
• CPS employees seeking data and/or conducting research for graduate work or submitting such work to a university or outside agency must submit a proposal in accordance with this document. The collection of data by CPS employees for in-school instructional or school improvement purposes is exempt.