Research Review Process FAQ

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Why does my research project need to be approved?

The research review process ensures that:

  • All research conducted in schools and other departmental sites adheres to policy requirements.
  • The rights of human subjects are protected as required by law.
  • The wellbeing of students and departmental staff is protected.
  • The integrity of learning is maintained at school sites.
  • Organizational functions are protected from unnecessary interruptions.
  • District resources are maximized.
  • The research provides benefits for school communities and education in Clark County School District.

 

I am a CCSD staff member. Do I still need to apply for research review and approval?

Yes. Each year, many CCSD staff members complete research studies as part of their academic coursework. However, the District must make a distinction between CCSD staff fulfilling their job duties and CCSD staff completing work for personal academic advancement. For the research review process, CCSD staff will proceed through the research review process with the same expectations and requirements as a student.

 

I am a CCSD staff member. Can I use data I have access to as part of my job responsibilities for research?

No. As part of your job responsibilities, you have access to private and personally-identifiable data to fulfill your duties. This data is protected by several regulations and statutes including FERPA, HIPAA, and IDEA. You cannot utilize this data for purposes outside of your official duties without going through proper procedures.

Once you have an approved research application, you are able to submit a Release of Student Information (ROSI) request. This process will provide you de-identified data for analysis in the same way the Research Department provides data to all other student researchers and third-party applicants.

 

I received word that my Letter of Intent was approved – does this mean I can start research?

No, the Letter of Intent is only the first stage of the process. Once your Letter of Intent is approved, you must then complete the rest of the research application. You are not permitted to begin collecting data until you receive final approval from our office.

 

Do I need consent/assent forms?

Yes. The District requires active, informed consent for research participants. Research participants under 18 years of age will need both active, informed parental consent and age-appropriate, informed student assent.

 

What kind of information needs to be in the Informed Consent and Informed Assent forms?

The Clark County School District requires all surveys and other projects where researchers will be interacting with District personnel, parents, or students, to provide active consent forms. Active consent forms require the subject to sign that they consent to participate in research (or assent to research if the subject is not yet of legal age to consent). The researcher is responsible for distributing, collecting, and archiving consent/assent forms. Researchers may utilize resources online for assistance to develop their forms. The Research Department can provide guidance and tips where necessary. The Research Department recommends that student researchers work closely with their advisor, committee chair, or institutional review board in developing consent/assent forms that consider expectations from their home institution.

 

How long will it take to review my application?

The Research Department strives for efficiency and prompt service in reviewing applications. However, a majority of this process is the responsibility of the researcher. The submission of a complete Letter of Intent, responding to clarifying questions, the submission of a complete application with all required supporting documentation, signing any required documentation, and responding to correspondence from the Research Department all depend on the researcher and could lead to processing time delays. Please follow all instructions, respond to correspondence in a timely manner, and ensure your application includes all required documentation to reduce potential delays. Research approval requires a complete and accurate application, the time taken to submit a complete application cannot fit a standardized timeline for review.

 

My IRB requires that CCSD approve my research before I can get IRB approval. What do I do?

In cases like this, we are able to issue a “conditional approval”. To obtain a conditional approval, you must fill out an application in its entirety with all supporting documentation except for the final decision letter of your institutional review board (IRB). The Research Department will review your application and follow up with clarifying questions or make a determination as with any other application. If approved, the researcher will receive a conditional approval letter instead of a final approval letter. This conditional approval letter should suffice as an acknowledgement that the Research Department intends to approve the project as-designed.

Once the researcher receives final IRB approval/exemption, they can provide a copy to the Research Department. If no changes have been made to the research design, the Research Department will provide the final approval letter. If changes have been made to the research project per IRB instruction, the Research Department will review changes prior to final approval.

 

What do I need to do if I will be conducting research beyond my research protocol’s expiration date?

All research protocols for approved projects expire on June 30th, the end of the fiscal calendar for the District. If a researcher needs to extend their research approval, they must complete a “check in” form to extend their approval expiration. At such time, the researcher must detail any and all modifications made to the design of the study. The researcher must also provide updated documentation for any items that may have expired (IRB approval, human subjects certification, etc.) and updated versions of approval that expire at the end of the fiscal year (facility acknowledgement letters, sponsorship forms, etc.).

The Research Department contacts researchers as the expiration date approaches to provide guidance for renewal. If there are questions regarding modifications or renewal, researchers should feel free to reach out with questions.

 

Can I modify my application before it needs to be renewed?

Yes. Researchers may submit a “check in” at any time after they receive their final approval. Your approval refers to the research design at the time of approval. If any modifications occur, it is best to fill out a modification request as soon as possible. The Research Department will review modifications and, if approved, will send an updated approval letter. 

There is no official limit to modifications allowed for a project. However, if modifications are significant enough, it may be necessary to start a new application.

 

What constitutes a modification?

Modifications include any change to the design of your research study as it appears in your approved application (or most recent modification).

Examples of common modifications include:

  • An addition of another facility or school at which you will be conducting research. Note that we will require a Facility Letter of Acknowledgement from the school principal or other facility head stating that they consent to the (modified) research taking place on facility or school premises.
  • The removal of a facility or school as part of your research.
  • Changes to any research documentation or instruments including, but not limited to: surveys, interview questions, consent forms, and assent forms. Note that your modification request should include copies of the modified versions of these documents.
  • A change in research team members. The Clark County School District Research Review Committee is required to collect certification as proof that all research team members have been trained to know the rights of human subjects regarding research being conducted.
  • Changes made by your research committee/institutional review board (IRB). We must be made aware of any changes your IRB or other research committee has made to their approval of your research project.

 

What if another individual needs to take over my research application?

This is referred to as “transferring ownership” of an application. This is most common for research applications from research teams, think tanks, and other external organizations. First, the new owner of the application may proceed to the research application and create a new profile (unless they have a profile already). Second, email the Research Department to inform them of the transfer and provide the name of the new owner. With this information, the Research Department can transfer ownership of the application and the new owner who may then access the application for edits and submission. This process can be done at any time prior to completed the research project, even if the application has already been approved

 

Why is there a fee for Release of Student Information requests?

In order to ensure District resources are utilized appropriately and efficiently, we charge $125 per hour of work required for data requests ($62.50/hour for current students).  There are many systems which house school and student data for the Clark County School District, and certain data requests may be non-trivial. Even seemingly simple requests can take several hours to compile, combine, clean, and verify. If cost is an issue, we will work with researchers to reduce the amount of data requested in a way that is pleasing to all parties.

Depending on the extensiveness of the data requested, and the current workload of the data team, we may deny data requests. In these cases we are not saying that your research isn’t worth pursuing, only that we lack the capacity to support it at this time.

Before requesting data, we encourage you to explore the data that is made publicly available by the District and the State of Nevada at the Nevada Report Card website (https://nevadareportcard.nv.gov/di)