• Research:  Practical Considerations

    Our guidelines seek to balance the need for advancement through research with our overriding priority of uninterrupted instructional activities that maximize student learning.  The District goal is to serve our schools and our focus is on student achievement.

    For those reasons:

    • Interference with school instruction and operations must be kept to an absolute minimum.  The Columbia Public School District prohibits the use of visual or audio recording equipment on district property or at district activities by outside entities without permission from the superintendent or designee unless otherwise authorized by law.  This prohibition shall not apply to recording of staff and students for research purposes and by pre-service education professionals when consent from all relevant parties, including parents, is secured. 
    • Due to the number of research requests the District receives, our ability to review and support external research projects, and to provide student data and data that require substantial manipulation (e.g., merging different data sources or across multiple years), is limited.
    • CPS reserves the right to charge fees at any time for data and research requests not covered by the Freedom of Information Act.  Requesters will be notified of the cost prior to the agreement/approval being reached.  
    • Potential researchers should be aware that permission to do research is a multi-step process, and permission to conduct research in the District does not guarantee any individual school's willingness to participate.  Although all submissions must be approved by the Research Request Committee, the principal of a school will have the final decision in regard to their school's participation.