All research and evaluation studies conducted within the district that are not specifically carried out by district employees as part of their duties and are not directed by district contract or by district initiative require advance approval from the district's Research Proposal Review Panel (RPRP). This includes research by district employees or students outside the district seeking an advanced degree and research by outside professionals or agencies.
District administrators and potential researchers must follow processes for obtaining RPRP approval as described below, whether for RESEARCH IN A SINGLE SCHOOL
or for RESEARCH IN MULTIPLE SCHOOLS or in central offices. These processes are outlined in SDUSD Board Policy and Administrative Regulations (see Additional Links).
Researchers whose projects are approved by the RPRP are expected to pay for the cost of providing district data requested for research purposes and to pay for all other costs associated with the implementation of research activities.
Research not approved by the RPRP, not authorized as part of a grant or evaluation, or not otherwise authorized by an appropriate district official may not be conducted in the district.
For assistance, please contact Leah Baylon at [email protected].
additional links
RPRP Meeting Schedule
- 2025: July 24, August 14, September 11, October 9, November 13, December 11
- 2026: January 8, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11
The RPRP meeting schedule is subject to change. The panel usually meets between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. and reviews a maximum of four proposals per meeting. Complete online applications must be submitted at least two weeks before the RPRP meeting date.
research in multiple schools
The following guidelines are directed to persons requesting permission to conduct research involving multiple schools within the San Diego Unified School District. The district approves a limited number of studies annually. Stringent qualifying criteria have been set regarding eligibility to conduct research, the quality of the research proposal, the importance of the study topics to the district, how much time is required of students and/or staff, and in which schools the studies may take place.
Two broad categories of persons are eligible to conduct research studies: (1) graduate students and (2) persons already holding an earned doctorate or representing a research agency.
Applicants are subject to the following requirements:
1. For graduate students, the study must be the master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, or the particular university's equivalent of these major research undertakings.
2. A district sponsor is required for each proposal. The district division/department head most closely associated with the topical area of research must endorse and sponsor the proposed study. This endorsement and sponsorship must be obtained prior to submission of application materials.The district sponsor's endorsement must be a strongly written statement of support for the proposed study, certifying that
- The study provides information the division/department vitally needs and actively seeks
- In the district sponsor's opinion, the applicant possesses the requisite skills and resources to carry the study through successfully.
In addition to the endorsement statement, the district sponsor is expected to
- Attend the review of the proposal by the RPRP
- Draft a binding Memorandum of Agreement upon approval of the research project, spelling out the respective responsibilities of the district, the sponsor, and the researchers
- Provide necessary help and guidance to the researcher following approval of the research
- Ensure that research is done as proposed.
3. The study's methodology shall minimize demands on students and/or staff.
4. Schools targeted for study shall not be heavily committed in other research studies and/or in special efforts to correct students' achievement deficit.
5. Data collection activities in schools must take into account schools' primary instructional mission and conflicting demands upon schools that may arise at certain times of the year (e.g., state-mandated testing).
These guidelines supplement district policies and regulations (see Additional Links). which provide additional information regarding district policies, limitations on research topics, applicant responsibilities, and other provisions.
Complete online applications must be submitted at least two weeks before the RPRP meeting date. During the RPRP proposal review session, applicants are expected to present an oral 5-10 minute overview of the key points of their proposals. Applicants and their district sponsors will be sent an online meeting link asking them to reserve a roughly 30-minute time slot from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on their scheduled RPRP review date.
If the research proposal is approved by the RPRP, a Memorandum of Agreement must be completed and signed by the applicant, the district sponsor, and the RPRP chairperson before any work in the district may commence. Roman Del Rosario, Executive Director of Data Insights and Systems Support at SDUSD, serves as RPRP chairperson.
Research in a Single School
Official district approval is also required of requests to conduct research in a single district school. However, the approval process is simpler and more informal than for research at multiple schools. Graduate students and professional researchers considering research in a single school should first contact the principal of the school, present and discuss the proposed research with the principal, and obtain preliminary approval from the principal.
Following such preliminary approval, the researcher should submit the online application which requires a brief description of the proposed research; proposed survey, interview, questionnaire, or other protocols or research instruments; and any proposed parent or student permission forms. If there appears to be no significant problem or difficulty with the proposed study based on the submitted materials and research description, the Research and Evaluation Department will notify the applicant and the principal of that fact.
The final decision for the study to proceed is at the principal's discretion.
Action Research Exception. A different process applies for "action research" done by student teachers in a classroom with a supervising teacher who has completed district training, under the auspices of a university-run teacher preparation or education program with current student teaching partnership agreements between the district and local universities. In such cases, the student teacher should first discuss a possible action research plan with the trained supervising teacher; after agreeing on the action research plan, the student teacher and supervising teacher should present the plan to the principal or the principal's designee for consideration or approval.