Application to Conduct Research in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Application to Conduct Research in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
CMS Review Process

All researchers must complete Sections A, B, C and D of the application below. All research-related materials should be submitted at the time of application (e.g., IRB approval, references, consent/assent forms, surveys/questionnaires, interview/focus group protocols, etc..).

Electronic submission of this proposal is required.

Please note that you will receive correspondence within one week of the date of the research review panel’s monthly meeting (posted here); given the following conditions:

1. Proposals are in their final form having been reviewed and accepted by all regulatory committees, institutions and/or advisors. A certified copy of an institutional review board’s approval or exemption must be submitted.

2. All supporting materials have been received.
SECTION A: APPLICATION INFORMATION
Primary Researcher's Name (this person will serve as our point of contact) *

First NameLast Name
Title/Position*
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
E-mail*
Phone Number*
University/Institution/Organization*
Please list other researchers' names, titles, and institutions here. *
Type of Project*
If graduate student, provide advisor's name*
If graduate student, provide advisor's email*
Project Title*
Projected Start Date*
Projected Date of Completion of Data Collection*

MonthDayYear
Date
Projected Date of Submission of Report for CMS Review. Please note that researcher is required to submit a report including the data analysis prior to disclosing it to any other source. *

MonthDayYear
Date
Are you a CMS Employee?*

YesNo
If yes, title and school/office.
Upload letter of support from a CMS director or executive director or specialist of the relevant department. Letter must include support of the research questions, methods, and indicate how the study will provide actionable information to benefit the district. Please note, letters from principals will not be accepted.*

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SECTION B: STUDY DETAILS
Areas of study?:*
Does study include?:*
Does study access, require, and/or record?:*

Provide a brief proposal summary that includes the scope and purpose of the study. This should be written like a study abstract. Write in a language that can been understood by those not in your field. The reader needs to understand the what, why, and how of your study in a few brief paragraphs.*

Provide a brief literature review that summarizes the background and rationale for your study. This review should include a summary of appropriate peer-reviewed sources (attach references separately). Please define acronyms or language specific to your field of study. *

What are the specific research questions and hypotheses for the study?*

Please list all study locations/school names (bullet form). Please note that studies must be conducted in a minimum of 3 CMS schools.*
Please describe your site selection criteria.*
Will researcher(s) be present on school property at any time for the study?*

YesNo
Please provide the names, email addresses of all persons who will be on school property. Please also indicate which school(s) each person will be visiting.*

Does your study include?:*
Describe your participant recruitment plan.(Upload any recruitment materials at the end of the application)*
How will you obtain consent from participants?*
What is the expected time commitment for each participant?*
Provide the number of participants (indicate if subjects are students, teachers, administrators, etc.) AND describe participant selection criteria.*

Will monetary remuneration or other incentive be offered in exchange for participation in the research?*

YesNo
Provide information about monetary remuneration for participation.*

Provide a detailed description of your methods. Be specific and describe the procedure on how you will collect the data: Interviews, Observations, Online surveys, Focus groups, etc.*

Provide a detailed description of your data analysis plan. *
Please complete the Crosswalk Template. A sample copy is below. After viewing the sample please follow these instructions:
- Download the Crosswalk Template Excel file
- Complete the Template Excel file - be sure to complete all columns for all research questions.
- Save the Excel file on your computer.
- Upload the file using the Upload button below.
Crosswalk Sample

Crosswalk Template
Upload your Crosswalk here:*

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What is your timeline for collecting data? (List To and From Dates)*

All CMS quantitative (archival/administrative) data that are not available publicly must be requested through the Office of Accountability; data cannot be provided by school employees.

Due to federal and local regulations (i.e., FERPA and CMS policies) regarding student confidentiality, we limit the number of demographic variables that we can share without parental consent in order to keep the data de-identified. The combination of seemingly de-identified demographic variables may inadvertently identify a single individual. We understand that this may limit a researcher's ability to conduct analyses based on demographic characteristics. Our highest priority when sharing data is protecting the identity of our students. A researcher may decide to obtain informed consent for parents to allow CMS to release more detailed student information. This guideline is in place for the protection of human subjects in research studies.
Will you be requesting archival/administrative data from CMS*

YesNo
Please provide a list of data variables that you would request for your study. NOTES for Student Level Data and Teacher Level data are included - no execeptions to these notes will be approved. Please note that files will include only CMS data. Linking to external data is the responsibility of the requester.:
1. Download the Excel file of data variables
2. Complete the Excel file by noting in "Comments from Researcher " column the variables and years you would like to request.
3. Save the Excel file on your computer.
4. Upload the file using the Upload button below.
Excel file of data variables (student level, teacher level, school level and district level
Upload the completed Excel file of data variables.*

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SECTION C: FUNDING AND ETHICS
Are you receiving funding for this study*

YesNo
What is the funding source?*
Are there funding requirements that may impact this study? If yes, describe the requirements.*

Does your study include the implementation of a new program or practice*

YesNo
Describe how the program or practice can be sustained after the study is complete.*

Identify any ethical issues you feel may be of concern to CMS or participants, and explain how you have addressed them.*
What is your plan to share and disseminate results. Please state with whom and how you will share your results)? Note researcher shall not disclose the identity of the district, school(s), or individual(s) in any online or print publications or presentations. *

Section D: DATA STORAGE AND SECURITY
Describe data security and storage plans.*
Will the data being stored in electronic format be encrypted?*

YesNo
If data will not be encrypted, please explain the rationale and the proposed method of data security.*
What will you do with the data once the study has been completed? Describe the method of destruction. Please note any use of the data for any purpose other than this study will require an additional research application and review. *
Will you maintain the participants’ contact information after the data have been collected? *

YesNo
If yes, specify the purpose(s) for this.*
Will you share individual-level data with other researchers or practitioners beyond the designated key research personnel? *

YesNo
If yes, who will have access and for what purposes will research data be shared?*
Please provide a link to the privacy policy of your organization or university. *

Data Sharing Agreement Template

To be completed by the CMS Office of Accountability if application is approved by CMS, This form is provided only for review - this form is NOT to be completed by the researcher. Please be sure the appropriate persons at your university or institution review the DSA and confirm the name of the person that will need to sign the DSA. Please note that any requests to edit the Data Sharing Agreement will likely be denied with the exception of DSA's with state (North Carolina) entities which will be modified to align with current North Carolina laws. Do NOT complete the form at this time. Requests for edits to the DSA after submission of application will result in denial of application.
The appropriate person at my university or institution has reviewed the DSA template*

Yes
The university or institution agrees with the terms and conditions in the DSA and no edits are requested.*

YesNo, the university or institution has requested edits to the DSA.
A Word version of the DSA is available here. Please have the appropriate person provide to you a redlined version with the requested edits and upload below.
Please upload a redlined Word document with the requested edits. *

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Please provide the following information of the person at your university/organization that has reviewed the DSA template and agreed to the terms and conditions of the DSA if the study is approved.*

First NameLast Name
Title *
Email*
example@example.com
Please provide the following information of the person at your university/organization that will sign the DSA if the study is approved. (Note: most universities and organizations do not allow the researcher to sign the DSA)*

First NameLast Name
Title*
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

CMS Research Request Guidelines
I have read the CMS Research Request Guidelines and Additional Guidelines (see link above) and I understand my application may be denied if it does not meet all CMS requirements.*

Yes
I have carefully proofread the entire application and corrected all errors. I understand that my application may be denied for significant proofreading errors. *

Yes
All questions have been answered within this document and do not require referencing any other documents (exceptions: references, consent forms, surveys, protocols, other research instruments). I understand that my application may be denied if all questions are not answered within this document.*

Yes
Upload supporting documents (e.g., IRB approval, references, consent/assent forms, surveys/questionnaires, interview/focus group protocols, recruitment materials etc.). Please clearly label each file. Please upload copies of the documents and do NOT provide links to the documents. Multiple files may be uploaded one at a time.*

Upload File(s)

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Download the Advisor Confirmation Review (see link below - after clicking the link a download icon will be in the top right corner).
- Your advisor should complete the document and return a completed copy to you
- Save the completed document on your computer.
- Upload the completed document using the Upload button below
Advisor Confirmation of Review
Upload Completed Advisor Confirmation of Review*

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Send the $50.00 application fee to the attention of Data Analytics and Research: Office of Accountability, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, 4421 Stuart Andrew Blvd, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28217. Checks should be made payable to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
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