Research Partnerships

Aurora Public Schools (APS) welcomes requests from individuals and organizations to conduct data analysis and research in order to learn more about how to develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to shape successful futures for our students.

For questions, please contact John Lyons at [email protected].

Conducting Primary/Field Research

APS recognizes the importance of research and evaluation through qualitative and quantitative measures as a means of improving programs for the District's students. We also recognize the need to monitor and control the amount of time and energy expended by both staff and students on research projects conducted by agencies or individuals from outside the District or by individuals within the District doing private research. Agencies or individuals desiring to conduct research or evaluation studies involving either students or staff members must complete the application procedures outlined below.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

  1. All requests must be submitted using the Online Data & Research Request Form.
  2. Applications must include all required attachments (letters of support, IRB approval, and supporting instruments)
  3. All requests for student-level data must be reviewed and approved by the APS Review Committee (ARC) before processing.
  4. The ARC meets several times a year to consider applications submitted by the following deadlines: July 15, October 15, January 15, and April 15. (Processing times will vary depending on the complexity of the request, the volume of prior requests, and competing priorities.)

Considerations:

  • The proposed research should not intrude upon instructional time or disrupt the educational process.
  • All research requests must demonstrate that the projected finding(s) will have value either to the District as a whole or to a unit within the District.
  • Principals will grant final approval for any research that is conducted in their school.
  • Can the research be carried out without interfering with the teaching-learning process for students or staff? Can school time reasonably be devoted to the request?
  • Are the dignity and personal rights of those who would be involved in the study protected? Is there any potential for invasion of privacy?
  • Does the request contain a convincing statement of how the collection of data may be useful and to whom the data might be useful?
  • Does the design of the proposal achieve what is expected?
  • Is the proposal consistent with the APS 2026: Faces of the Future strategic plan?
  • Has the proposal been approved by the institution or funding agency with which the results are affiliated?

Requests for Data

If your research does not involve human subjects, and instead exclusively relies on the use of APS administrative data, you must complete the data request process below and may be subject to a processing fee. We strongly encourage researchers to first explore the school-level data already publicly available.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DATA REQUESTS:

  1. All requests must be submitted using the Online Data & Research Request Form.
  2. The data request is in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to information confidentiality and security
  3. The requested data are already collected by and exist within the district and do not require special calculations, analyses, tabulations, or formatting.
  4. The stated educational purpose/intended use of the requested data supports the ethical use of data, as described by the Forum Code of Data Ethics.
  5. The requestor and/or the organization with which the requestor is affiliated will not profit monetarily from the requested data or their use.
  6. All requests for student-level data must be reviewed and approved by the APS Review Committee (ARC) before processing.
  7. The ARC meets three times a year to consider applications submitted by the following deadlines: July 15, October 15, January 15, and April 15.
  8. Processing times will vary depending on the complexity of the request, the volume of prior requests, and competing priorities.

Applicants whose request for data is approved will be required to sign a data-sharing agreement with APS. Approvals are for one year only. Research and/or data requests for multi-years must complete applications annually.

APS reserves the right to withdraw support of a research project at any time.

APS requires a copy of all final materials, pre-publication, and reserves the right to use and/or apply findings.

National Resources:

Colorado Department of Education Resources:

Aurora Public Schools Resources: