Oakland Unified School District welcomes applications to conduct high quality research projects that address questions relevant to our community and strategic goals. Currently, due to limited resources and staffing, research and data applications are only being considered for projects that are a) renewals of previously approved studies, b) applications from current OUSD employees who wish to conduct research in OUSD as a part of their postgraduate studies, or c) applications to evaluate programs conducted in OUSD. Note that as of January 2022, organizations are no longer permitted to conduct program evaluations of services they rendered to the district due to conflict of interest. Such organizations can, however, outsource this work to external evaluators who are permitted to apply for research approval.
Requests for data from employees are not subject to the same restrictions as new research proposals from non-employees. Links below are organized according to the type of request: internal data only vs. external research and data requests. As always, we welcome feedback on all of our dashboards to help us make sure we are presenting results in a useful manner for our stakeholders.
Requests for data from employees are not subject to the same restrictions as new research proposals from non-employees. Links below are organized according to the type of request: internal data only vs. external research and data requests. As always, we welcome feedback on all of our dashboards to help us make sure we are presenting results in a useful manner for our stakeholders.
For Employees Only: Internal Data Requests
If you are an OUSD employee and need data support, please complete one of the data request forms below. You will need to use your internal OUSD Gmail account to complete a request form. After a form has been submitted, a Data Analyst will contact you within two business days for support.
student Data
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Staff Data or
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For Anyone: Research and/or Data Requests
In order to conduct research in OUSD, a research application must be submitted and approved by the department of Research, Assessment and Data. Only complete applications will be considered for approval. A complete application consists of a completed research application form which includes a description of the purpose and scope of the project, method of study or investigation to be used, copies of consent forms and research materials and protocols, a description of the extent of participation expected of students and staff if applicable, the use to which project results will be put, and a description of any benefits to the school or district. A completed application is required regardless of whether the request involves active collection of new data from human participants or is a request for existing administrative student or staff data. As of January 2022, any application requesting collection of new data from human participants requires the approval of the study by an external institutional review board (IRB). Having external IRB approval, however, does not guarantee approval to conduct research in OUSD.
Application reviews evaluate a) the extent to which a submission shows potential for improving instructional programs and strategies, b) addresses a relevant educational problem, concern, or issue, and c) is designed to minimize interruptions and demands upon the time of students and staff. Only proposals that are compliant with state and federal laws (including FERPA) as well as local board policies and regulations may be granted approval. Approvals are granted for a period of one year. To extend any project into a second year, the researcher(s) must obtain approval via resubmission of their research application. All applications are reviewed in the order that they are received. Note that there is currently up to a 12 week lag in the review process due to reduced staffing and increased workloads.
In some cases, OUSD schools or departments wish to partner with external researchers to collaboratively design studies that are aligned with our Strategic Plan and provide direct and immediate benefit to the district. In such situations, the sponsoring OUSD employee should contact the Research and Evaluation division of the Department of Research, Assessment and Data (RAD) by emailing [email protected].
Application reviews evaluate a) the extent to which a submission shows potential for improving instructional programs and strategies, b) addresses a relevant educational problem, concern, or issue, and c) is designed to minimize interruptions and demands upon the time of students and staff. Only proposals that are compliant with state and federal laws (including FERPA) as well as local board policies and regulations may be granted approval. Approvals are granted for a period of one year. To extend any project into a second year, the researcher(s) must obtain approval via resubmission of their research application. All applications are reviewed in the order that they are received. Note that there is currently up to a 12 week lag in the review process due to reduced staffing and increased workloads.
In some cases, OUSD schools or departments wish to partner with external researchers to collaboratively design studies that are aligned with our Strategic Plan and provide direct and immediate benefit to the district. In such situations, the sponsoring OUSD employee should contact the Research and Evaluation division of the Department of Research, Assessment and Data (RAD) by emailing [email protected].
Research in OUSD Homepage
For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit Research in OUSD.
