Welcome, CEHD researchers and graduate students!
Are you interested in conducting research in schools or school districts? Some school districts require researchers to go through a research review process in addition to the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) process before they will be allowed to collect data from students, teachers, or other staff. In Minneapolis Public Schools, all research studies involving MPS staff or students, or leveraging MPS data, are required to go through an application process managed by the district’s Research, Evaluation & Assessments department in addition to the University’s IRB process.
This page provides guidance to researchers at all stages of the research process—from establishing a collaborative research partnership to submitting a successful application to conduct research in a school or district!
Start Here
When contemplating a research project involving data collection in a school or district, or analysis of school or district data, the first thing you should do is to familiarize yourself with the district’s policies and practices regarding outside research. More than likely, the best place to start is the district website. Searching for external research policies will help to inform you on what kinds of research has been conducted in the district, as well as what kinds of research the district is looking for. Pair this with a close reading of district long-term priorities and goals, and you will be off to a great start!
For those of you specifically interested in working with Minneapolis Public Schools, we encourage you to begin by carefully reviewing the information provided on the district’s website. Additionally, we encourage you to watch this Info Session that was hosted for CEHD students and staff on how to best partner with MPS. This will give you a great introduction into what the research goals, priorities, and processes are in MPS.
MPS Research Process
A word of caution: applying to conduct research in schools and/or districts, and securing approval to commence data collection, can take a lot of time. Start early and, where possible, keep your timelines flexible.
To the right, you’ll see a graphic depiction of MPS’ research application process, including the main steps of Project Development, Submission and Review, Implementation, and Dissemination & Integration.
What Makes a Good Research Partner?
Research is at its best when meaningful partnerships are centered from the very start. One of the key aspects of a successful research-practice partnership is the co-creation of research projects with on-the-ground practitioners. Finding and fostering connections and relationships with educators can seem daunting, but it is essential to ensuring your research is relevant, appropriate, and impactful. We are here to help!
In listening to our partners in MPS, we identified the following six characteristics of collaborative researchers. They:
- Ask questions and listen
- Demonstrate flexibility and openness
- Co-design research questions, co-develop methods, and co-interpret data
- Are transparent about timelines and goals
- Communicate findings and implications in practitioner-friendly ways
- Respect staff and students’ time.
Check out the resources below to learn more about what it means to be a good research partner to PK-12 institutions, including MPS.
Alignment with Research Priorities
One of the best ways to strengthen your application to conduct research in a school district is to make sure your project aligns with the district’s strategic priorities. Remember, the main purpose of partnering should be to create a mutually beneficial relationship. As such, making sure that whatever questions you are hoping to answer provide valuable information to all involved partners is essential.
If you are hoping to work with MPS, make sure that your proposed research project aligns with one or more of the following strategic priorities:
- Academic Achievement
- Student Well-Being
- Effective Staff
- School and District Climate
Aligning with these priorities will help make sure that the project you propose is meeting the current needs of the district. Please check out the MPS Research website for more information on these priorities and the research application process.
Connecting with MPS
Have an idea for research you want to share? Looking for an MPS staff sponsor for a potential research project? Check out MPS’ co-sponsor page for researchers or fill out our “Research Interest Form,” below, to share a research idea with MPS colleagues.
Research Interest Form
Do you have areas of interest or specific research questions that you want to investigate? Are you unsure of how to get your foot in the door at MPS? Fill out this form indicating your research interests and we will start to compile a list of the topics that researchers, such as yourself, are interested in pursuing further.
Funding
Does your project need funding? We recommend the following CEHD and U of M Corporate & Foundation Relations resources for identifying research grants.
Website Feedback
We strive to make this page useful for researchers looking to engage in meaningful research partnerships with schools and school districts. Please consider submitting feedback to help us grow and improve this site, or reach out to us directly at mps-cehd@umn.edu.