EPISD External Research Guidelines

    • It is expected that all persons collecting or using this information shall personally secure training or instruction concerning the legal requirements involved in handling these records.
    • All research must be conducted in compliance with state and federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
    • Personally identifiable information in education records shall not be released by the district pursuant to the student records guiding policies, FL(LEGAL), FL(LOCAL) and FL(REG).
    • Individual students or staff must not be identifiable in any report.
    • Research studies must not pose any risks to subjects (risks of harm anticipated are no greater than those ordinarily encountered in daily life).
    • Research cannot begin without an official approval letter signed by the District Designee on official EPISD letterhead.
    • The consent/assent forms from all subjects must be obtained before any research activity is started and it is the responsibility of the EPISD sponsor to ensure this process takes place. The consent forms should provide full knowledge and the complete scope of what the participant will be asked to do as well as any data collected on or about the student. For example, if a project proposes participation in a program, desires interviews at the end of the program, and asks for data on the student; then the form must specifically ask parents for permission on all three items and clearly list the data records being requested.
    • The consent forms must be active consent and requires parents to sign and return a form if they allow their child to participate. The district will not accept passive consent forms.
    • It is the responsibility of the sponsor to maintain the consent/assent forms for a period of 7 years in accordance with the requirements outlined on the signed sponsor form. The study sponsor must also ensure that parents/students/staff who do not give consent are not included in or exposed to any research activities.
    • The EPISD study sponsor, the employee who signs the EPISD Research Study Sponsor Form, is responsible for meeting all the requirements listed on the form (e.g., ensuring all governing procedures and guidelines are followed, maintain copies of the signed consent/assent forms for the period of seven years, etc.).
    • Applicants must consult with the EPISD sponsor in order to secure any required partnering materials (e.g., data sharing agreements, MOUs etc.) to be vetted through the appropriate offices (Information Technology Department and/or the Office of Legal and Legislative Matters) for any data that is housed, collected, and maintained by the district. District data will not be released for research purposes without the required materials. The district sponsor must facilitate the process and make efforts to contact the appropriate personnel on your behalf.
    • Any EPISD employee acting as the applicant will not be approved to conduct any research study at the assigned primary work location, or any site(s) where they directly work with the staff or where work is conducted.
    • Any EPISD employee acting as the applicant and serving in a supervisory capacity cannot conduct research with people or locations they supervise.
    • EPISD employees are not allowed to receive compensation for other services performed while on duty. [See Administrative Reference Guide: Internal Audit: Earning Compensation] The RRB does not allow EPISD employee study participants to receive incentives.
    • The RRB does not approve studies with any audio and/or video recording of students.
    • Researchers and all EPISD staff will be required to follow the governing procedures and guidelines in relation to visiting school facilities. [See Policy Code: GKC]
    • Approval to conduct research does not guarantee a schools’ willingness to participate. In all instances, the campus Principal can postpone or cancel the school’s participation in the study
    • Participation by staff or students in any external research project is voluntary.
    • No research study activities will be allowed on testing days. Please consult the district's testing calendar.
    • Researchers are responsible for reporting their findings to the district. Any researcher who does not provide a research report to the district is subject to subsequent research request denials.
    • EPISD does not have the capacity to support duplicative studies, topics, and program implementations. Studies similar in nature to previously conducted or ongoing studies will not be approved.
    • University students conducting research for class credit are not eligible to conduct research in the district. The district does not have the capacity to support studies for class credit and student applications are not accepted or reviewed.
    • If you are testing the efficacy of your own products and services for advertising purposes, your research application will not be reviewed.
    • The research proposal submitted to the District Research Review Board and Data Sharing Agreement or any other legal agreement between the researcher and the district must align.