Research Involving Students/Research Review Committee 5-67

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 5-67

STUDENTS

Research Involving Students/Research Review Committee

1. Generally

   The Superintendent or designee will act upon all proposals for research projects involving students as described in School Board Regulation 5-67.1 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 School Division 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 5-67.1 Section C. Research by employees for personal or course work related to personal educational pursuits 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 5-67.1 Section D.

2. Administrative Criteria

   Research involving students 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. This includes appropriate notice to and consent by parents/legal guardians of minor students and emancipated or adult students;
   2. The local Human Research Review Committee appointed in accordance with Code of Virginia § 32.1-162.19, et seq. (designated as the Research Review Committee) the School Division has recommended that the research proposal be approved in accordance with Virginia law and regulation;
   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 students or staff;
   6. Required notifications to parents or legal guardians of minor students or to emancipated or adult students prior to student participation shall state the purpose of the research, the procedures to be followed, the right to review research documents and surveys, and the right to withdrawal at any time. Requests to review any research or survey material will be honored by the School Division within five (5) business days after submission of a written request;
   7. The proposed research includes adequate provisions to protect the privacy of students and to maintain confidentiality of data as set forth in School Board Policy 5-31 and any implementing regulations.
3. Consent for surveys, analyses or evaluations of students

   Parents/legal guardians of minor students and emancipated or adult students must receive notification and provide active informed consent prior to the administration of any student survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one of the following eight areas of protected information:

   1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parents;
   2. or psychological problems of the student or student’s family and/or medical information or information on student health risk behavior, other information on controlled substance use;
   3. Sexual 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 recognizable privileged relationship, such as with lawyers, doctors or ministers;
   7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
   8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

   This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for marketing purposes or for selling or otherwise distributing/providing the information to others. Active informed consent may be required as determined by the Research Review Committee for surveys, analysis or evaluation of students not included above.

Legal Reference

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

Every Child Succeeds Act of 2010, 20 U.S.C § 6301, et seq., as amended.

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

Code of Virginia § 22.1-79.3, as amended. Policies regarding certain activities.

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

Virginia Department of Health Regulations for the Conduct of Human Research, 12 VAC5-20, et seq., as amended.

Related Links

School Board Policy 5-31
School Board Regulation 5-67.1

Adopted by School Board: August 21, 1990
Amended by School Board: July 16, 1991
Amended by School Board: June 15, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Amended by School Board: July 18, 1995
Amended by School Board: December 1, 1998
Amended by School Board: September 2, 2003
Amended by School Board: June 2, 2009
Amended by School Board: July 9, 2019
Amended by School Board: August 13, 2024