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Research Requests

The Board of Education of St. Mary’s County (the Board) encourages independent research and the utilization of existing current research in the development and revision of programs and/or courses.

Anyone wishing to conduct research in the St. Mary’s County Public Schools shall complete the Independent Research Request Form and submit the completed form to the Supervisor of Instructional Programs for approval. The approval of the principal and the appropriate director will be required before the form is submitted.

The individual must agree to share the results of the research with appropriate professionals in the school system.

Procedures for independent research requests.

  1. Anyone wishing to conduct research in St. Mary’s County Public Schools shall complete the online Independent Research Request Form.
  2. The Independent Research Request Online Form will include researcher information, objectives of the study, data collection methods (all tools presented in finalized format), population to be studied, dissemination of data, and all relevant consent/assent forms. A letter of IRB approval is also required. The researcher may opt to include additional information deemed relevant to the study.
    The Independent Research Request Online Form
  3. Once submitted to SMCPS, the Supervisor of Instructional Programs will conduct an initial review and reach out to the researcher, acknowledging receipt of the request.
  4. The completed form will then be shared with content supervisors and school principals connected to the proposed study's targeted participants, as well as the appropriate director(s) and the CAO for approval.
  5. Once the form is approved by supervisors, principals, and the appropriate directors, it will be submitted to the Supervisor of Instructional Programs for final review and consideration.
  6. Factors considered for approval of a proposed research are as follows:
    • Technical soundness of the proposed design
    • Appropriateness of the research topic for a public school setting
    • Appropriateness of the instruments and procedures being used
    • Adherence to the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for research related to human participants
    • Appropriateness of all consent forms to be signed
    • Availability of research site(s)
    • Amount of interruption required in the educational program
    • Kinds of personal information to be secured from the subjects themselves
    • Type and number of data gathering procedures or instruments to be used
    • Need for the school(s) to safeguard the personal and legal rights of students, parent(s)/guardian(s), and staff
    • Assurance to strictly adhere to the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and  Privacy Act.
  7. The final decision will be made by the Supervisor of Instructional Programs.
  8. Results of the research must be shared with the appropriate professionals in the school system, including the supervisors, principals, directors, and the Supervisor of Instructional Programs.

It is important to note that the research approval process can be a lengthy one, given the research topic and/or the time of year a request is submitted. Researchers should plan ahead and allow time for this process to conclude.