Institutional and Community Based Research (ICBR) -Research Requests
Research Requests
Requests to conduct research in the San Antonio Independent School District shall be judged by a representative committee of the District’s professional staff and shall be given a final review and approval by the Superintendent.
The District Research Review Committee shall convene three formal meetings during the school year for the purpose of reviewing research requests: June, September, and February. Requests must be received by the first day of the month to be reviewed.
General Guidelines
These guidelines and procedures shall apply to all research requests, including requests to conduct research only within the home campus or organizational unit by an employee of the District. Each principal and department head shall ensure that all employees are aware of the requirements and that any employee who wishes to gather data for research shall do so only after receiving approval according to these procedures.
Research is generally considered to be a critical investigation or experimentation based upon a hypothesis and includes data collection from or about SAISD students or staff. Research may include strategies such as the use of a survey or questionnaire or the examination of student data. Therefore, the District must be aware of and abide by the legal restrictions regarding confidentiality in general and surveys specifically.
Submission of Requests
- All individuals, whether District employees or non-District personnel, who wish to conduct research in the District shall complete the following
- Online Research Request Submission Form - ICBR has recently created a new online submission process to submit Research Requests as well as Survey Requests. You can access the the form here. The forms listed below are integrated into this process, however you will still need to receive endorsement from a sponsor. Using this form will ensure a quicker turnaround time. More instructions are available on the digital form.
- Research Study Request [FORM E22-A] - All information must be complete with required support documentation (e.g., copies of survey forms, observation checklists, etc.). If data will be collected on or from individual students, parent/guardian permission will be required and a copy of a parental permission letter must be attached. Incomplete requests will be automatically rejected. The requester shall submit an original and two copies of these documents.
- Research Agreement [FORM E22-B] - A signed Research Agreement is required in order for the request to be considered. The requester shall sign one copy of the Research Agreement and submit it with all materials to acknowledge receipt of and compliance with the guidelines listed in the agreement.
- If the requester is not a District employee, the requester shall also obtain the endorsement and signature of a professional person sponsoring the research (e.g., college professor, physician) on the Research Endorsement of Non-District Personnel [FORM E22-C]. The requester shall also sign the agreement.
- The requester shall submit forms and all support materials to the following office:
Research and Evaluation
San Antonio Independent School District
Cooper Learning Center
1700 Tampico St.
San Antonio , Texas 78207
Research Request Forms
If you want to review the online request form see Form E22-A
All requests must submit Form E22-B below in addition to the online submission
All Non-District Personnel requests must submit both Form E22-B and E22-C in addition to the online submission
Surveys, Questionnaires, Evaluations of Students
Various individuals or groups may request that students participate or fill in surveys, questionnaires, evaluations, or other such instruments. The term "survey" in this procedure includes, but is not limited to, any of the aforementioned instruments or other similar instrument used to elicit responses from students, whether it is a formal or informal questioning instrument. However, the term does not include academic examinations related to instruction.
The provisions of these administrative procedures shall not be construed to limit or abolish a District employee's authority to counsel, instruct, advise, or discipline a student in accordance with District policy.
Generally, any survey that requests information concerning any of the controversial/sensitive/ personal topics listed below:
- Must be reviewed by the District Parent Survey Review Committee
- Must have approval of the campus principal
- Must also have prior written consent of the parent/guardian. Other surveys must have written approval by the principal.
Controversial/Sensitive/Personal Topics
No student shall be required or asked to volunteer to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning the following topics without the prior written consent of the parent/guardian or the student (if the student is an adult or emancipated minor). Topics covered by this provision are the following:
- Political affiliations;
- Mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or his or her family;
- Sexual behavior and attitudes;
- Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, and demeaning behavior;
- Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;
- Legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;
- Income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program);
- Religious beliefs or affiliations;
- Other matters that are of a personal family nature.
Surveys, Questionnaires, Evaluations of Students Forms
Please submit the SAISD Student Teacher Waiver Forms if your study requires you to visit campuses.