The window for   submission of  applications to conduct research in the Boston Public Schools  is now closed. Decisions on applications submitted by July 31 will be sent out starting in September 2018.  Please allow 90 days after submission to inquire about the status of an application.

Applications will  again be accepted during the following  windows:

October 1 – November 30, 2018 for applications for studies to be conducted in spring of 2019 or later;

February 1 – February 28, 2019 for research to start in SY19-20;

June 3 – June 30, 2019 for research proposed to start during fall 2019 or later.

*Please note that these windows may be changed.   

Please review the Policy and Guidelines document for information about current proposal requirements before creating your application documents and submitting your application so you have the latest policy requirements.

Overview

The basic purpose of the Boston Public Schools (BPS) is to educate children. All other objectives, however worthy, are only secondary to this goal. It’s the policy of the school system, therefore, to authorize only those research projects that could be of benefit to the BPS when a review shows that that the subject area being studied is aligned with the goals of improved teaching and learning while not unduly taking away from instructional time and BPS resources. Approval by the researcher’s IRB and/or the building administrators of BPS schools does NOT guarantee approval by the Office of Data and Accountability (ODA).

All research activities must be coordinated through the Office of Data and Accountability. In some instances approval is not required for the use of data and summary statistics available in public records such as on the BPS Website, in published paper and electronic reports, and hard-copy listings of aggregated student and staff data. In these instances, the researcher may use the data presented in the reports as long as the sources is cited and any modifications or analysis done by the researcher is clearly delineated.

Who May Conduct Research

Any academic or professional organization or any individual doing doctoral work may submit a proposal to conduct research. Doctoral candidates must submit written evidence that their proposed research has been approved by their University’s IRB and will be supervised by their advisor(s).