Research & Survey Guidelines

Evanston/Skokie School District 65 encourages research that provides a basis for improving school processes and student learning within the district. While the district encourages educational research, the need for research and the collection of information is always balanced against the district’s objectives. Per Board policy, surveys and research conducted within the district require prior review and written approval from the Research, Accountability, and Data Department. During evaluation, we particularly encourage proposals that address issues of racial equity. The district has developed a research agenda (located below) to guide researchers toward our most pressing questions and issues.

Important: The State of Illinois has reached Stage 5 of its restorative plan. Given this announcement, we have re-opened our research review process and are accepting new research proposals. Each research proposal will be evaluated for its feasibility in the district in the current circumstances. Those proposals which include plans for collecting primary data should consider our limited space for personnel in school buildings among other precautions; please note access to in-person visits to schools may be restricted. We thank everyone for their commitment to prioritizing the safety and health of our community.

If you are affiliated with Northwestern University, please visit the Northwestern University website to learn more about submitting a proposal for research in District 65.

For those interested in submitting a research proposal directly to D65, please see the information below:

Step 1: Review our process and begin organizing necessary materials

• Our Research Agenda provides researchers with information about our district's goals and how we hope research will help to accomplish them.
• Please see our Approval Procedures for a summary of the submission and review process. This occurs on a quarterly basis; please see deadlines and schedule below.

Step 2: Submit proposal via Google Form

• Submit your Research Proposal to help us better understand your project and evaluate its feasibility in the district. Once ready to submit your proposal, please complete this Google Form so we can receive your submission. A PDF version of the Google form is available to review and prepare in advance of beginning the Google form).  Written approval or denial of the research request will be provided a few weeks after submission (see calendar above). Please note that submitting a research proposal does not guarantee your project will be approved.

Step 3: If project is approved, submit signed agreement(s)

• You must sign and return a research agreement and/or a memorandum of understanding (MOU). Once this is signed by both parties, research can begin in the district (if conducting in person data collection, background check clearance is necessary, see information below).

Step 4: Complete necessary background checks as appropriate for approved research activities

• For primary data collection, you must pass a background check before interacting with students and/or entering into school buildings. Keep in mind, this may take up to eight weeks to complete by the HR department. We encourage you to get started on this process immediately after receiving the research agreement. 
• For secondary data collection, your data request will be evaluated and put into a queue for processing, with follow up from our office as needed.
• As you implement your research activities you can reach out to our office at research@district65.net, if you have any questions.

Step 5: After completion of your research, submit final reports and, if necessary, a data destruction notice

• Once your research project reaches its end date noted in the research agreement and/or MOU, please submit a report with your analysis results and a data destruction notice (for secondary data collection). If you wish to request an extension, please contact our office at research@district65.net. 

For questions related to any of the outlined steps, please reach out to the RAD department via research@district65.net.