Research

The Richland Two research application process protects students, families and employees of the district. While the district welcomes research studies, our primary mission is serving the students and families currently enrolled in Richland Two. The district will not approve research that interferes with this mission. Richland School District Two may approve research requests if the proposal meets all of following criteria: 
 

• The research does not interfere with the educational programs of the district. 
• The research will not result in the loss of instructional time. 
• The research respects the privacy and informed consent of students, families and employees. 
• Participation in the research is voluntary. Those who do not wish to participate have the right to refuse. 
• The researcher agrees that all communication, including recruiting of participants and the distribution of surveys or other data collection instruments will be done by the Director of Accountability, Research and Evaluation. Researchers may not contact Richland Two students, parents, or staff directly. 
• The researcher agrees to provide the district with a copy of the completed research.

Researchers must email the Director of Accountability, Research and Evaluation (jecoleman@richland2.org) to request the appropriate application form. Please read the descriptions below to determine which application form is appropriate. 

Action Research Application Form – For students conducting research as part of a course requirement. Action research is generally limited to a single semester course and is not published or otherwise released. 

Dissertation Research Application Form – For students conducting research for a dissertation or thesis. 

Government & Institution Research Application Form – For government agencies, state and private institutions that wish to conduct research, whether for publication or not.

The application forms are protected Microsoft Word documents (.docx). Begin by saving the application form to your computer. Complete the form by filling in the requested information. Save the completed application as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). Do not convert the form to any other format. Submit the completed file to the Director of Accountability, Research and Evaluation as an attached file in an email. Attach any supporting documents, forms, surveys, etc. to the email as well. Please type “Research Application” in the subject line of your email. 
It is important that all applications are complete and include the following:

• Consent forms. The forms must comply with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) guidelines. 
• Copies of surveys, instruments, assessments, forms, letters, etc. used in the research. 
• Students conducting research that must be approved by their college or university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) must submit a copy of the IRB’s letter of approval. You may submit your application without IRB approval, but you may not begin research activity until a copy of the letter has been provided to the Director of Accountability, Research and Evaluation. 

Do NOT include dissertation chapters (introduction, statement of problem, literature review, or methodology chapters).

The Director of Accountability, Research and Evaluation reviews all applications to determine if they are complete and meet all specified criteria. Next, a committee reviews the application. This process may take several weeks to complete so please plan accordingly. 

Applicants will receive an email from the Director of Accountability, Research and Evaluation informing them of the district research committee’s decision. Applicants may not begin any research activity prior to receiving approval. 
Principals always have final approval of all research activity conducted on their campus and may deny permission to conduct research even if the proposal has been approved by the district’s research committee.