Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) welcomes universities, organizations, and researchers interested in conducting K-12 educational research that is designed to contribute to improving student outcomes. The Student Assessment and Research Department established the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Research Review Process to review all Research Requests from non-BCPS organizations or individuals interested in conducting non-BCPS sponsored research. In addition, this process covers research to be conducted on behalf of the District. Employees of BCPS interested in conducting research as part of their personal endeavors, such as dissertation or thesis research, are also required to complete this process.

Applicants might include researchers examining the impact of an educational program or intervention, grant partners researching program effectiveness, District partners requesting data to analyze program impact, university students working to complete their dissertation, or District staff requiring an IRB review for K-12 grant applications. Applicants wishing to conduct research in a charter school must contact that school directly because the authority of this IRB does not extend to charter schools.

This process has two distinct components:

• IRB Review:  Ensures the protection of our students, parents, and staff by complying with FERPA and with other federal, state, and local privacy laws.
• Research Review:  Ensures that Research Requests benefit the District and do not negatively impact staff and student instructional time and resources.

Pursuant to School Board Policy 6313, it is important that researchers understand that the BCPS IRB requires active informed consent for research involving students, whereby parents provide a signed, dated, written consent before their child may participate in the study. It is also important that applicants be aware that:

• Research Requests are submitted online, which allows applicants to track the progress of an application through the review process.  No hardcopy documents are accepted.
• Applicants not affiliated with BCPS, or employees seeking to conduct research for a dissertation or thesis, must first obtain IRB approval from a sponsoring institution. Proof of approval must be submitted with the application.
• A team of District- and school-based staff reviews the proposed research methods, benefits of the research to BCPS, and impact of the project on staff time and resources.
• Reviews take 10-12 weeks from the time all required documents are received. Processing time may be extended during blackout periods (e.g., statewide testing, holidays).
• Archival requests, mandatory research from a granting agency, or requests from District partners with an approved Partnership Agreement will have shorter processing times.
• Providing all of the required materials and documents in the format requested expedites the review process.
• When a Research Request is approved, a District IRB Approval certificate is issued. This document must be presented to BCPS principals or District staff when requesting participation.
• If approved research activities involve a school's staff, students, or parents, the principal must be contacted first to request participation prior to the initiation of any research activities.  In most cases, the principal has the right to decline participation.
• Proposed research activities must have a minimal impact on school activities and classroom instruction, and should not be scheduled during blackout periods, such as at the beginning or end of the school year, or during statewide or local testing periods.
• Applicants are responsible for costs incurred for data requested from the District's Data Warehouse. Fees ($150/hr.) are based on the time required by staff to build data files.
• Approvals are valid for one year. A Renewal Request is required for all studies, including multi-year studies, not completed before the annual expiration date.  Research not completed within the timeframe specified in the protocol approved on the original Research Request will require re-approval by participating schools and staff.
• A final report must be submitted for all approved projects no later than four months following the expiration date of the approved study.

The Web pages to the left include all of the links that you need to successfully submit a Research Request in BCPS. Please familiarize yourself with the Process webpage for Submitting a Research Request prior to starting your online submission. Another helpful resource is the Document Checklist which will also help to organize your application.