Littleton Public Schools Regulation

Policy Code    LC-R Policy Name Relations With Education Research Agencies July 13, 1993

Research Testing Guidelines

The Superintendent shall charge the Curriculum Evaluation Process Steering Committee to review research requests initiated from graduate students, professional groups, or individual professionals (including school employees working on a nondistrict project) who wish to conduct research testing involving students in the District. A committee member may not participate in reviewing a request for which the member is a sponsor or researcher.

A written proposal for permission to do research testing will first be submitted to the associate superintendent and the curriculum/assessment specialist for a review of the proposal’s feasibility and appropriateness. If they believe the proposal may be feasible and appropriate, the request shall be submitted to the committee.

Depending upon the volume of requests, the committee may find it advisable to decline to review proposals from certain categories of researchers (i.e., graduate students, undergraduate students). The committee shall be provided with such information as it deems necessary, including information on current research standards applicable to the project.

The committee will judge the merit of written requests for testing with attention being given to the following areas:

       Scientific soundness of the project; that is, how likely it is to produce valuable information relative to student class time.

       Procedures to assure anonymity.

       Soundness of stated purpose and methods.

       Benefits of the resulting information.

       Evaluation of possible risk to students.

       Examination of parent consent forms and student consent forms when applicable. Parental consent shall be obtained for all research with students not conducted or contracted for by school employees, unless the research consists merely of observing unidentified students engaged in their normal activity. Student consent shall be sought when appropriate.

       A clearly written statement appropriate for parents which explains:

               The purpose of the project.

               How the student was selected.

               General procedures to be followed.

               Anticipated benefits for general knowledge, the student, and the District.

               Whether students will be personally identifiable and to whom.

               To whom results will be available.

               Parents’ right to inspect testing materials before consenting.

               Researcher’s name, address, and telephone number and professional affiliations.

               Any identifiable risks to participating students.

               How the student may opt out of the research.

               Post-research follow-up procedures.

               That the school is neither conducting nor sponsoring the project.

The committee shall make a recommendation to the associate superintendent who shall make the final decision about the research project.

Cross Reference: JLDAC, Screening/Testing of Students (& Treatment of Mental Disorders)