The Research Review Committee (RRC) consists of a rotating group of volunteer Cabinet members, Local School Administrators, and District Administrators selected based on their knowledge of the subject matter or connection to the proposed research.

When reviewing research projects, the committee carefully compares the burden on students and staff to direct benefits and impact on school and district initiatives using a rubric based on the following criteria:

• Alignment of the proposed research with CSD’s strategic plan.
• Technical soundness of the research methodology, measures, and proposed analysis.
• Time requirements of study design - in that the research does not interfere with instruction or require excessive student or staff time.
• Compliance with human consent procedures.
• Appropriateness of the research topic for support in a public school setting.
• Clarity of purpose and thoroughness of research plan.
• Compliance with federal regulations concerned with student records, privacy, and participation in research studies.

Initial Consideration

When a proposal review period opens, the RRC Chair uses the following questions to evaluate each proposal. 

1.Have all items been appropriately completed and submitted?

• Completed Application Form
• PDF Upload including:
  • Letter of Institutional Endorsement/IRB
  • Data Collection/Protocol(s)/Instrument(s)
  • Letter(s) of Informed Consent
  • Response Letter (when resubmitting only)

2. Are the rights and privacy of students, caretakers, and staff protected? 
3. Is instructional time protected?
4. Is student/participant well-being promoted?
5. Is the school’s principal willing to accommodate/support the work?  
6. Does the research benefit CSD and support our mission, goals, and strategic plan?

If the above requirements are not met, the Chair will return a proposal without committee review. If requirements are met, the committee will use a rubric to determine acceptance or denial of a proposal.

If a rubric indicator is rated “needs improvement”, the proposal may be returned with a request to revise and resubmit during the current window. If an indicator is rated “unacceptable”, the proposal may be denied or returned with an opportunity to resubmit in a future window.

Approval

Researchers who receive RRC approval will receive a formal letter of response via e-mail from the Office of the Deputy Superintendent and the RRC by the response deadline. School staff, parents, and/or students may choose not to participate in a research study even if approved by the Research Review Committee. 

Denial

Denial of a research proposal will likely be based on one or more of the following criteria.

• Failure to protect the rights and privacy of students, parents/guardians, and staff
• Failure to protect instructional time
• Lack of benefit for CSD and/or lack of support for our strategic plan
• Failure to provide a complete application w/attachments
• Failure to submit a professionally prepared proposal
• Failure to submit a proposal that exemplifies scholarly work
• Failure to submit a research proposal that is logistically feasible in the school district
• The potential for harm to CSD or subjects outweighs the value of the research

If your Research Proposal is denied:

Once you have made revisions to your application, you may submit a revised version of your Proposal for a later review window. 

• Please resubmit with an RRC Response Letter - an uploaded letter listing each bulleted area of concern/question in the denial letter and explaining how each area of concern has been addressed. Do not resubmit your proposal until you have addressed each issue. 
• A revised Proposal may still be denied by the RRC on the grounds of concerns listed in the original denial letter or on new grounds. 

Research review committee members invest extensive time reviewing and providing feedback on each research proposal. When a proposal is denied, it generally requires substantive changes. Should your proposal be denied, we suggest you meet with your research chairperson to discuss the concerns outlined in the denial letter, and then, carefully and thoroughly address the listed concerns before resubmitting your application and RRC Response Letter.

The RRC will not accept a proposal that has been denied twice.