How do I obtain approval to do research in the Baltimore County Public Schools? Please download: Research Proposal Submission Guidelines and Cover Sheet.

• Prepare an abstract of the study, including purpose; number and kinds of schools, students, and faculty needed; kinds of data to be collected or obtained; timelines; and if applicable, a letter of approval for the study from the university advisor or the supporting agency.

• Confidentiality. Please explain how you will ensure the confidentiality of subjects from data collection through data analysis. How and to whom will this information be disseminated? What will happen to the data once the study is over?

• Address how your study aligns with the Baltimore County Public Schools' Blueprint for Progress. Cite the Blueprint goals, indicators, and strategies addressed by the study. Please note that we prefer studies that relate directly to improving student achievement in reading and mathematics.

• Include copies of all surveys, tests, interviews, and other data collection instruments, and informed consent documents.

• You need to mail four copies of the completed proposal, with cover sheet, to:
  Dr. Gary L. Brager, Supervisor of Research, Baltimore County Public Schools, 9611 Pulaski Park Drive, Suite 305, Baltimore, Maryland 21220. In order to review and process the proposal, it must be received by the second Monday of each month, and it must include a cover sheet.

• The proposal will be reviewed by a multi-disciplinary committee. You will be notified about the status of the study and your next steps by the end of the month in which you submitted the proposal..

• If you desire to obtain student-level data files or school summaries that are not available through the Maryland Report Card web site (linked to this site), download and submit "Request to Release Student Data Files."