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Data collection and evaluation generally follow rules and ethical guidelines as described in the Common Rule. This includes obtaining informed consent from individuals who voluntarily provide data for a study or evaluation, protecting their right to privacy and confidentiality, and properly storing the collected data. Informed consent involves giving students and their parents/guardians

information about the study, including risks and benefits, and obtaining their permission before data collection.

Another key protection in the Common Rule is the requirement for appropriate review and approval of research by an institutional review board, or IRB. An IRB is a committee that ensures researchers follow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rules and ethical guidelines as they conduct their studies. In addition to the Common Rule, HHS rules have additional protections for participants who are considered vulnerable, such as children or students.

OCDE has a federally-registered IRB that can review and approve research.

What if your program does not need to follow the Common Rule? For research that is not required to follow the Common Rule (for example, privately funded and even some state or federally funded research), OCDE’s IRB recommends that the protections laid out in the Common Rule be followed.

For more information on Data Privacy/Protecting Student Rights,​​ visit our Additional Resources page.​

Or contact: ​redi@ocde.us​​