Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) provides the opportunity for quality research studies to be conducted within the system by graduate students and by other professionally and technically qualified individuals and research organizations. Applications are accepted year-round for educational research conducted during the months August to March 15th of the current school year. Please select one of the applications below if you are interested in completing the application process, and refer to our guidelines for conducting research for additional information.
The approval process may take as long as six weeks. Please submit your request for support in sufficient time to meet your anticipated timeline. Research activities involving students may not be conducted from March 1st through August 31st.
If you need additional questions about conducting research, please email ResearchRequest@duvalschools.org.
Degree-Seeking Research Application
People who are in the process of completing their master's or doctoral degree should submit the Degree Seeking Research Application.
Required Attachments
Proposal Narrative: 20 pages maximum
All Data Collection Instruments (digital and print)
IRB (Institutional Review Board) for Human Subjects from the researcher's college/university for master's theses and doctoral dissertations, or independent IRB company
Consent form for parents, students or DCPA staff members participating in the research study
The proposal should be organized in the following manner:
Proposal Overview - The Request to Conduct Research in Duval County Public Schools (this document) constitutes the Proposal Overview.
Background and Study Design - Address the background and specific research objectives of the study, hypotheses to be tested, and questions to be addressed.
Instrument Identification - Address the instrumentation requirements of the study. Specific instruments should be identified. When questionnaires, unobtrusive observation protocols, or interview protocols are specified, content and respondent burden should be addressed. Applicants should indicate the approximate response time required for each instrument, keeping in mind the importance of minimizing the respondent burden. A listing of key data elements to be collected from each type of respondent should be included along with a rationale for collecting each of the key items of information. Copies of instruments proposed for use in the study must be attached to the proposal.
Data Collection & Sampling - Discuss sampling schema. If the plan includes sampling of students, parents, or DCPS employee groups, the methodology should be clearly presented. Address the data collection strategies and the data collection procedures for the proposed study.
Proposed Schedule of Performance - Outline the time frame during which each task will be accomplished. Time spans should be denoted in calendar days and/or months.
Analysis & Outcome - Detail any analytical procedures that will be used. Specify how and who this research activity could benefit. Explain what you will do to safeguard data during and at the conclusion of your study.
Conclusion: Research Report
Email the executive summary (25 pages or less) or the director of the Research, Evaluation and Data Department due within 30 days after the research study is complete.
Institutional Organization Research Application
Organizations that are interested in conducting research should submit the Institutional Organization Research Application.
Required Attachments
Proposal Narrative: 50 pages maximum
All Data Collection Instruments (digital and print)
IRB (Institutional Review Board)
Consent form for parents, students or DCPA staff members participating in the research study
The proposal should be organized in the following manner:
Proposal Overview - The Request to Conduct Research in Duval County Public Schools (this document) constitutes the Proposal Overview.
Background and Study Design - This chapter should address in detail the background and specific research objectives of the study, hypotheses to be tested, and questions to be addressed. It should demonstrate the applicant's familiarity with the research issues to be considered in developing and implementing the activities described in the proposal. Awareness of relevant ongoing and previous research should be demonstrated, and attention should be given to the strengths and weaknesses of related efforts. The chapter should discuss how the proposed research complements or improves upon previous efforts.
Instrument Development/identification - This chapter should address the instrumentation requirements of the study. Specific instruments should be identified. When questionnaires, unobtrusive observation protocols, or interview protocols are specified, content and respondent burden should be addressed. Applicants should indicate the approximate response time required for each instrument, keeping in mind the importance of minimizing the respondent burden. If instrument development is proposed as part of the research, a justification must be presented to document the need for new measures. A listing of key data elements to be collected from each type of respondent should be included along with a rationale for collecting each of the key items of information. Copies of instruments proposed for use in the study must be attached to the proposal.
Sampling - Discuss sampling schema. If the plan includes sampling of students, parents, or DCPS employee groups, the methodology should be clearly presented in this section; the number of respondents for each type should be specified.
Data Collection Methodology - Both the data collection strategies and the data collection procedures for the proposed study should be fully addressed in this chapter.
Data Analysis - Detail the analytical procedures that will be used in the study, addressing each of the key data elements identified in Section C of our guidelines for conducting research. Relationships between the analysis proposed and the hypotheses identified for testing (referred to in Section B of our guidelines for conducting research) should be specified.
Data Protection - Outline the protection plan for storing, protecting, and eventually discarding sensitive research data. Protection plans should discuss, but are not limited to, data storage and technology practices to protect data securely, safeguards in place to mitigate unintended disclosure or inappropriate use of confidential data, and a timeline and protocol outline for discarding and/or archiving non-individually identifiable data.
Proposed Schedule of Performance - The time frame during which each task will be accomplished must be specified. Timespans should be denoted in calendar days and/or months.
Longitudinal - If the proposed project will follow students or staff over multiple years, then include an outline for the duration for this longitudinal study, your plan to keep data personally unidentifiable across multiple school years (if not already discussed in Data Protection), and if and how the type of data elements might change during the duration of the proposed project.
Summary of Staff Assignments and Use of Resources - This chapter should identify the specific individuals who will be needed to accomplish each task and the anticipated task-by-task time commitments required of each individual. The chapter should also discuss any sizable non-personnel resources that may be required for each task. Graphic displays such as charts and tables should be used in this chapter to ensure clarity. Note: If data will be requested of Duval County Public Schools as a part of this study, the applicant/organization must indicate the kinds of data and the amount of staff time the request may entail. Such requests may require the applicant/organization to pay for staff time in order to fulfill the request.
Consultants and Subcontractors - The manner in which any consultants or subcontractors will be used should be addressed in this chapter. Of particular concern is the coordination of their efforts with those of the district's research staff. A discussion of previous experience in working with the same organizations/individuals is highly appropriate, as is a summary of their technical qualifications. Dissertation committee members or advisors may be included in this chapter if they will play a significant role in conducting the study.
Benefit to Duval County Public Schools - This chapter should present a detailed discussion of the specific benefits of this research activity to Duval County Public Schools. Please note that the request to conduct research in DCPS by individuals, private groups, and other agencies will not be approved except when the benefit to DCPS of such research is potentially substantial or when such research is required by law.
AUTHORSHIP - This chapter should list, in decreasing order of involvement, the authors of each chapter of the proposal.
Budget - A detailed task-by-task budget for the proposed research activity should be presented in this chapter along with a discussion of funding sources.
Conclusion: Research Report
Email the executive summary (25 Pages or Less) or the director of the Research, Evaluation and Data Department due within 30 days after the research study is complete.