In order for a proposal to be considered, researchers MUST submit a completed application, with the following attachments:

A brief proposal (maximum six pages, double-spaced, numbered pages) describing the study, including all of the following: 

1. Purpose of the research, including a description of its value to the Minneapolis Public Schools 
2. Theoretical background including references, where appropriate – not a full literature review. This should be written for a cross-disciplinary, general audience. 
3. Description of the study, which must include the following:
   1. Hypotheses or specific research questions to be addressed
   2. Specifics of the sample – who, when, how many, which site(s), etc.
   3. Description of the tasks students or staff members will be asked to complete
   4. Time demands on students, teachers, or other district employees
   5. Data collection methodologies that will be used to answer research questions.
   6. Samples of all data collection instruments (e.g., survey questions, observation forms and rubrics, interview questions, assessments and scoring information). (Samples of data collection instruments do not count toward the six-page maximum.)

4.      Description of the proposed data analysis plan – the methodology that will be used to analyze the data and the way in which this will address the original hypotheses or research questions.

a.      List of the Research/Evaluation questions.

b.     Data Collection Instruments.

c.      Sampling and Data Collection Methodologies.

d.     The expected time demand on the research subjects.

e.      Proposed analyses.

5.      List of all of the funding sources and budget for the study.

6.      Indicate whether this research/evaluation will require a specific data request from REA. All data requests must be associated with a previously approved research project or accompanied by a proposal to conduct research.

7.      A summary of the plans to disseminate the research results, both internally to appropriate MPS staff and externally.

8.      A copy of IRB application. Provide IRB approval letter or statement that IRB approval is pending MPS approval. (IRB application and/or letter do not count toward the six-page maximum.)

9.      Letter of support from a sponsor (subject matter expert, director, or executive director).

10. Letters of support from each school principal where the research/evaluation will be conducted.

11. Be prepared to upload all surveys and assent/consent forms.

Description of the procedures you will use to secure and acknowledge informed consent of all participants, including active or passive consent. If you are proposing to use passive consent, please provide a rationale.

• Outline how subjects will be identified and the criteria used for recruitment, who will make the initial contact with subjects, and whether or not inducements will be used to secure participation.
• Attach consent forms for study participants (e.g., parental consent forms, student assent forms, teacher consent forms). Consent forms do not count toward the six-page maximum.
• If the study is likely to involve second-language students, the parental consent letters must also be translated into Hmong, Spanish, and Somali before the study can proceed. Copies of translated consent forms must be submitted to the MPS Research Review Committee; however, we recommend waiting to translate consent forms until all consent forms have been approved by the Committee.
• Researchers should retain all consent/assent forms and must be prepared to make them available to the building principal or to a district official.
• If you plan on video-recording students as part of the study, please see the section entitled Information on Video recording.
• If your research could be considered “sensitive” in nature, please see the section entitled Information on Studies Involving Sensitive Material.

MPS defines data as any information provided by the school and/or district (individual or aggregate student data) as well as any information that outside organizations collect directly from students and/or families.

• This includes observations, surveys, focus groups, or individual interviews. 
• Read more about individual and aggregate student data here.

Researchers and evaluators must comply with all District policies, and state/federal laws regarding student data privacy including the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statute Chapter 13 and The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Researchers must make a reasonable case for how videotaping is important to the research.  Any research that will use videotaping must obtain ACTIVE parental consent.  Parents must be informed:

• That they have the option of saying “yes” or “no” to their child being in the videotape; and
• That the videotaping will be structured so that students who do not have consent can remain in the room during instruction but be assured that they will not be in the videotape (describe the process for how you will do this).

The consent form must also include the following information:

• The purpose of the videotaping
• How the videotape will be used (e.g., to verify agreement between observers and/or to be used to present at conferences)
• How long the videotape will be kept / used
• When / how the videotape will be destroyed
• Who will have access to the videotape

NOTE:  District media releases are for District purposes only and cannot be used as a substitute for the researcher obtaining his/her own release.

The following must be addressed if you will be conducting research about information of a sensitive or risky nature (e.g., drug use, sexual activity, bullying behavior). 

Typically, surveys of a sensitive nature would require active parental consent (whether connected to a student ID or not). Your consent form must:

• Indicate that the information obtained is for research purposes only and will not be shared with the school district;
• Be clear about what data you (as the researcher) will be collecting and what you will/will not do with the information;
• Indicate whether the information collected will be “identifiable” (i.e., whether the student data will be connected to the student’s name/ID). If the information is connected to a student, the researcher must let parents and students know that the researcher will intervene if there is a need based on responses.

Your data collection instruments must:

• Indicate that the research is not being done by MPS and no one from the school will know the answers;
• Provide information about who students can talk to about issues raised in the study;
• Indicate, for instruments connected to a student, that if the student indicates he/she is ‘in trouble/at risk,’ someone will follow up with them.

Guidelines for Pre-Student Teachers:

Pre-Student teachers may complete informal observations of students, classrooms, teachers, and/or schools, or complete informal interviews with teachers provided that they follow these guidelines:

The student completes the required forms and online orientation prior to beginning the experience, and complies with all the Pre-Student Teacher Guidelines

MPS Research and Evaluation Application Form

Have all of your documents ready to upload/attach to this form. Thank you!