Research Involving Employees/Research Review Committee 4-69

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 4-69

PERSONNEL

Research Involving Employees/Research Review Committee

1. Generally

   The Superintendent or designee will act upon all proposals for research projects involving School Division employees as described in School Board Regulation 4-69.1 only after consideration of the following:

   1. The Research Review Committee's recommendation;
   2. The nature and purpose of the activities as described in the research plan;
   3. The anticipated benefit to the research subjects and/or the School Division's educational program.

   Action research studies and other data-collection activities conducted by Virginia Beach City Public Schools employees for internal purposes only do not require review by the Research Review Committee but must meet the criteria as outlined in School Board Regulation 4-69.1 Section C. Research related to personal reasons or in pursuit of personal educational course work does not constitute "internal purposes." In addition, survey research and other primary data collection activities conducted by students for internal purposes as part of a research project for their VBCPS coursework (e.g., Advanced Placement Capstone course) do not require review by the Research Review Committee but must meet the criteria as outlined in School Board Regulation 4-69.1 Section D.

2. Administrative Criteria

   Research involving employees may be approved by the Superintendent or designee provided that:

   1. The research proposed complies with School Board policies, regulations and research guidelines, federal law and regulation and state law and regulation;
   2. The local Human Research Review Committee appointed in accordance with Code of Virginia § 32.1-162.19, et seq., as amended (designated as the Research Review Committee) has recommended that the research proposal be approved in accordance with applicable law;
   3. The research plan sets forth explicit objectives and a sound design for collecting and analyzing information designed to reach these objectives;
   4. The research holds out the prospect of benefiting the individual subjects and/or the School Division's educational program;
   5. There will be no significant departure from normal school/central office routine or use of instructional time on the part of employees;
   6. The proposed research includes adequate provisions to protect the privacy of employees and to maintain confidentiality of data. Contact information of School Division employees will not be released for research purposes.

Legal reference:

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) 20 U.S.C. § 1232, as amended.

Code of Virginia, § 32.1-162.16 et seq., as amended, Human Research, as amended.

Code of Virginia, § 22.1-16.1, as amended. Board to establish regulation regarding human research, as amended.

Related Links

School Board Regulation 4-69.1

Adopted by School Board: June 2, 2009
Amended by School Board: October 18, 2016
Amended by School Board: July 9, 2019
Amended by School Board: August 13, 2024