Conducting Research

You need approval if your project involves any of the following: 

• Collecting data from MCS students, staff, families, or schools, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or assessments 
• Requesting existing MCS student or staff records, including de-identified data 
• Recruiting participants through MCS channels, schools, or personnel 
• Piloting a program, product, or intervention in an MCS setting 
• Any project intended for publication, dissertation, thesis, conference presentation, or public dissemination 

You do not need approval if your project uses only publicly available MCS data, or if you are an MCS employee conducting program evaluation as part of your assigned duties. 

MCS employees pursuing graduate research in the district must apply through this process and must also secure supervisor approval. 

Applications are evaluated on: 

1. Alignment. The research addresses a question connected to the MCS Strategic Plan 2024-2027 or a stated district priority. Studies addressing a current district priority have a greater likelihood of approval. 
2. Burden. The time required of students, teachers, and administrators is proportionate to the value returned to the district. 
3. Instructional impact. The design minimizes loss of instructional time and does not displace core instruction. 
4. Privacy and security. Data handling meets FERPA, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, Georgia’s Student Data Privacy, Accessibility, and Transparency Act, and MCS data governance standards. 
5. Methodological soundness. The design is capable of answering the question posed. 
6. Benefit to MCS. The district receives usable findings, not just an acknowledgment. 

Approval is not guaranteed. The district may decline projects that are sound but not feasible in the current year. 

All applications are submitted through the MCS Application to Conduct Research. 

Begin Your Application

Do not email proposals, questions about eligibility, or partial materials in advance of submitting. Everything the district needs to evaluate your request is collected through the application, including uploads for your IRB determination, proposal, instruments, and consent documents. 

Submit the complete packet in a single submission. Your application is not under review until the complete packet has been received, including: 

• IRB approval letter or exemption determination from your sponsoring institution 
• Every data-collection instrument: surveys, interview protocols, tests, checklists 
• All consent and assent forms 

If your institution’s IRB review is still pending, you may submit. District approval in that case is conditional and does not take effect until your IRB determination is received. 

Incomplete applications are not reviewed. You will receive an automatic confirmation when your application is submitted, and you will be contacted if anything is missing. 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. There are no submission deadlines and no fixed review cycles. 

Submit at least four weeks before your intended start date. The application will not accept a proposed start date less than 28 days out. Allow additional time if you are requesting district data, if your study requires Board approval, or if you are working across multiple schools. 

Two conditions apply regardless of when you submit: 

• No new data collection is approved during state testing windows. 
• No new data collection is approved during the final two weeks of a semester. 

1. Submission. The complete packet is received by the Office of Strategy and Innovation. 
2. Completeness check. The packet is confirmed to include the IRB determination, all instruments, and all consent and assent forms. 
3. Review. The Director of Strategy and Innovation evaluates the application against the criteria above and may request clarification or revisions. 
4. Board approval, if required. Any survey, analysis, or evaluation of students concerning PPRA-protected areas requires approval of the Marietta Board of Education and prior written parental consent. 
5. Principal consent. District approval does not obligate any school to participate. Each principal decides independently whether to host the study. 
6. Agreement executed. A signed Research and Data Use Agreement is required before any data is collected or released. 

Applicants may request reconsideration of a decision in writing within ten business days. Reconsideration requests are reviewed by the Deputy Superintendent. 

Approved researchers agree to: 

• Complete any required background or records checks before working directly with students 
• Follow all school visitor, safety, and check-in procedures 
• Obtain informed consent from adults, parental or guardian consent for participants under 18, and student assent where appropriate 
• Collect only the data described in the approved application, and request only the minimum data elements necessary 
• Store data as specified in the executed agreement and destroy all personally identifiable information by the date stated in the application 
• Conduct the study so that no student, parent, school, or the district can be identified in any report or publication 
• Provide a copy of the completed study results to the Superintendent or designee within ninety days of the study’s conclusion, together with a two-page practitioner summary written for a district audience 

A study is not complete until the final report is received. 

Approval does not obligate Marietta City Schools to participate, does not commit district resources, and does not constitute endorsement of the study or its findings by the district or the Board. Violation of these terms may terminate the study and may bar access to personally identifiable information from district education records for at least five years. 

Any change to the approved design, instruments, sample, or timeline requires written approval before implementation. Contact the Office of Strategy and Innovation before making the change.