Conducting Research in Henry County Schools

Internal/ External Research

Internal and external researchers wishing to conduct research in Henry County Schools (HCS) must submit an electronic application and receive written approval from the Policy and Systems Design Office prior to beginning any research. Each application and supporting materials will be carefully reviewed and considered. Please review the Research Application due dates and expected response time (approximately 60 days) to ensure you are allowing enough time for approval of your study. Please note that research will not be allowed to be conducted during district-wide standardized testing dates.

Submission Calendar

Guidelines for Conducting Research in Henry County Schools

All researchers must read the Henry County Schools Guidelines for Conducting Research, complete the appropriate research request form, and submit the required documents via email to Sean Thompson at sean.thompson@henry.k12.ga.us by the required deadlines or the application will not be considered. You may also refer to the Research FAQs for additional guidance. 

All research conducted in Henry County Schools must meet these guidelines:

• Protect the rights and privacy of students, families, and employees
• Respect instructional time without being detrimental to student learning
• Support continuous school system improvement goals
• Align with HCS Strategic Plan.

Please review the following State and Local Policies:

   ° KEBA - Solicitation of Student Information
  ° IFBGA- Electronic Communications
  ° FERPA -Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
 

Local School Research Requests

Action research is conducted by an employee to improve their own professional practice. An action research project is often required for a graduate course, add-on certificate, or a certification endorsement. Accordingly, action research projects that only involve data collection at the employee’s place of employment (school site) require approval of the school’s principal. Researchers applying to conduct action research at their school site must complete the Local School Research Request Form.

District Level Research Requests

Certain research requests require district level approval, and the applicant will need to complete the District Level Research Request Form. Examples of research requiring district level approval include:

• Research for graduate course requirements
• Research for graduate degree requirements (i.e. master’s thesis, doctoral dissertation)
• Requests to conduct research at multiple schools and/or district locations
• Research conducted by district office employees
• Requests from external organizations/agencies, or individuals who are not employees of Henry County Schools