|
RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The Cobb County School District (District)
acknowledges the importance of educational research, but balances this
activity with student privacy and the need to utilize instructional time
effectively. The District will annually notify parents/guardians and
students of their rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA),
20 U.S.C. § 1232h. Where notice and consent is required by this Rule, the
District will directly notify parents/guardians through e-mail, U.S. mail or
other methods.
RULE:
A. RESEARCH PROCEDURES:
1. Persons, including District employees, and/or groups,
including school support
organizations (Administrative
Rule KF [Use of School Facilities])
desiring to conduct
research activities in the District
must apply for permission through the Accountability
Division (Form
ILD-1). Included with the request must be a copy of any document,
printed material, surveys or tests to
be utilized during the project.
2. The completed application is to be submitted to the office
of the Chief Accountability
and Research Officer, and must
include all questionnaires, surveys or materials to be
used with the research.
3. The Chief Accountability and Research Officer will review
the application and, if
acceptable, will seek approval of the
project from the appropriate Division(s) and the
Principal(s) of the school(s)
involved.
4. The applicant will be notified in writing the approval
status of his/her request.
5. The District prefers that the researcher obtain approval
from the applicable
Instructional Review Board (IRB)
prior to submitting an application for research within
the District. IRB approval must be
obtained before the initiation of research. IRB
approval does not guarantee District
approval of the proposed research.
6. The researcher must follow all terms found in the
application and Applicant
Agreement.
7. The District, and school(s) or participant(s) shall not be
identifiable in any research
activity. All research activity will
comply with the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. §
1232g and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
(PPRA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232h (See
Section B below).
8. The District is to receive a copy of all completed
research findings and the Chief
Accountability and Research Officer
will maintain a copy of these findings.
9. Approval of research projects within the District shall be
subject to the project's having
no undue effect or interference with
the operations of the schools. The District may
terminate research being conducted
within the District at any time for any reason
deemed appropriate by the District.
B. STUDENT PRIVACY AND PARENTAL/GUARDIAN INVOLVEMENT:
1. Protected Information Survey:
a. Written parental/guardian consent
will be obtained before students are required to
submit to a
survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas
(“protected
information survey”):
(1) Political
affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent/guardian;
(2) Mental or
psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
(3) Sex
behavior or attitudes;
(4) Illegal,
anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
(5) Critical
appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family
relationships;
(6) Legally
recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or
ministers;
(7) Religious
practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents/guardians;
or
(8) Income,
other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
b. When parental/guardian consent for
a protected information survey is solicited, the
consent form
will contain instructions to allow a parent/guardian to inspect the
survey prior
to administration, as well as contact information for questions or
concerns.
(See Form ILD-2).
2. Non-Invasive Screenings and Marketing Materials:
Parents/guardians will receive notice
and an opportunity to opt a student out of:
a. Any non-emergency, non-invasive
physical exam or screening required as a
condition of
attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not
necessary to
protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for
hearing,
vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted
or required
under State law; and
b. Activities involving collection,
disclosure, or use of personal information obtained
from students
for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to
others. Upon
request, parents/guardians will also have the opportunity to inspect
materials for
this purpose prior to use or administration. Such requests for
inspection
will be granted in a reasonable amount of time after the request is made.
(See also
Rule JRA [Student Records];
Directory Information Notice contained in
the Parent
Information Guide; Rule KH
[Solicitation and Advertising on School
Property].
3. Other Surveys:
Parental/guardian consent shall be
obtained in writing unless:
a. The Chief Accountability and
Research Officer approves an exception to this
requirement;
or
b. The survey is required by the
State of Georgia or United States Government and
provides for
a different form of parental/guardian consent.
4. Inspection:
Parents/guardians may conduct a
reasonable inspection, upon request and before
administration or use of
instructional material used as part of the educational
curriculum. Inspection will be
permitted within a reasonable amount of time of such
request. Instructional materials
means instructional content that is provided to a
student, including
printed/representational materials, audio-visual materials, and
materials in electronic or digital
formats. This term does not necessarily include
academic tests or academic
assignments. Parents/guardians should contact their
students’ Principal or designee with
such requests. (See also Administrative Rule IFA
[Textbook Selection and Adoption for
Special Education Courses and Programs];
Rule IFAA
[Textbook Selection and Adoption]; Rule IJK
[Media Programs and
Supplementary Materials Selection];
and Rule ICA [Pilot Projects].
Reclassified an Administrative Rule: 9/1/04
Revised: 3/12/08
|
BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE
RULE