GCS March 2026.pdf (66 KB)

​Boulder Valley School District​ ​File:​​GCS​ ​Adopted: April __, 2026​ ​CONSULTING, RESEARCH, AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY​ ​The Board considers teaching and/or administrative duties in the School District​ ​full‐time employment. However, the Board recognizes that​if an experienced staff​ ​member is in good health, a limited amount of​​college teaching​,​​or​​educational​ ​research, and consulting​work​​with other agencies may be a rewarding experience in​ ​professional growth.​ ​Any​​other​​type of outside work by staff members shall be​​approved so long as it does​ ​not​​the concern of, and warrant the attention of, the Board only as it may​​directly​ ​prevent staff members from properly performing​​their​his​​assigned functions during​ ​duty hours or be prejudicial to their​​his​​effectiveness in​​their​his​​professional position.​ ​For example, employees shall not at any time engage in any employment that would​ ​compromise or embarrass the school system; would adversely affect their​ ​employment status or professional standing; or would in any way conflict with​ ​assigned duties.​​Employees shall conduct any nonschool​​employment/consulting​ ​activities on personal time or approved leave.​ ​Consulting​ ​Administrative team members may be authorized to make consulting or speaking​ ​engagements of a professional nature outside the School District provided that such​ ​commitments do not adversely affect the performance of their School District​ ​assignments. Team members may accept honoraria or compensation in connection with​ ​these authorized activities.​ ​Research​ ​While recognizing the value of educational research, the Board also has a responsibility​ ​to protect the learning environment and students, parents, and staff from harassment,​ i​nvasion of privacy, and physical, psychological, social, educational, or other injury. All​ ​research proposals shall be carefully screened by the Director of Evaluation and​ ​Guidance or a designee and appropriate directors,​ ​All research studies carried out within the School District, use of school data of any kind,​ ​or staff or students as subjects must be approved in advance by the Superintendent or​ ​designee. Only those studies that have value to the​​School​​D​di​strict​, and are compatible​ ​with our instructional program(s),​​legal obligations, and standards of good scholarship​ ​shall be approved.​ ​The superintendent or designee shall keep a file on topics needing study that shall be​ ​shared with staff members at their request.​

​While recognizing the value of educational research, the Board also has a responsibility​ ​to protect the learning environment and students, parents, and staff from harassment,​ i​nvasion of privacy, and physical, psychological, social, educational, and other injury.​ ​When human subjects are involved in research, there shall be adequate protection of​ ​their rights and welfare. The individual shall be subjected to no serious risk​​of,​​including​ ​but not limited to​,​​:​​physical, psychological, social, and educational​, and any other​ ​forese​​injury​.​ ​Parents of students who are subjects of research or adults if they are the subjects shall​ ​be provided an explanation of procedures and their purposes, a description of any​ ​possible risks and any benefits to be reasonably expected, an offer to respond to​ i​nquiries on procedures, and instruction on the right to refuse to participate or to​ ​discontinue participation at any time without prejudice.​​If any costs are incurred​ ​regarding notice, the researcher(s) will be responsible.​ ​While recognizing the value of educational research, the Board also has a responsibility​ ​to protect students, parents, and staff from harassment; invasion of privacy; and​ ​physical, psychological, social, and educational injury. Consequently, the Board requires​ ​that a​Al​l research proposals​​shall​​be carefully screened by the Director of Evaluation​ ​and Guidance or a designee and appropriate directors, to ensure that the proposed​ ​research has potential value for the District and is consistent with District philosophies,​ l​egal obligations, and standards of good scholarship.​ ​Projects conducted by a District staff member that involve no cost to the District, are​ l​imited to the staff member's assigned school, and involve only minor changes in the​ ​regular instructional program, require the permission of the building principal, the​ ​appropriate level director, and the Director of Evaluation and Guidance.​​All other​ ​educational research activities taking place in the Boulder Valley School District must​ ​conform to the procedural guidelines described below.​ ​Any survey, assessment, analysis or evaluation of students shall be consistent with​ ​School District policy and applicable law.​​Student anonymity must be assured in any​ ​research project. Results pertaining to individual students may never be publicized, and​ ​may only be shared with teachers if approved by the​​Director of​​Evaluation and​ ​Guidance​​as part of the research plan​​consultant​​and​​otherwise​​permitted by law.​​The​ ​researcher(s) will be asked to notify parents by mail if the project involves activities or​ ​testing not commonly included in the regular instructional program. Parents will then​ ​have the option of excluding their child from the research project. If letters of notification​ ​are required, the researcher(s) will be responsible for all mailing costs.​ ​Any survey, assessment, analysis or evaluation of students shall be consistent with​ ​School District policy and applicable law.​ ​The Director of Evaluation and Guidance will disseminate a summary of project results​ ​to the Instructional Cabinet. When a project is relevant to a specific program or​ ​curriculum area, the results will be shared with the appropriate leadership personnel.​ ​Each semester, the​​Director​office​​of Evaluation and Guidance will submit to the​

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​Superintendent​​and Assistant Superintendent​​a summary of all research projects​ ​conducted within the​​School​​District.​ ​Intellectual Property​ ​It is the policy of the Boulder Valley School District to copyright selected educational​ ​materials and intellectual property when appropriate and also to clarify employees’​ ​abilities to engage in private activities.​ ​Patentable Inventions: Under the circumstances where an Employee or Mentor, either​ i​ndividually or as part of a group, conceives, creates, or develops an Invention during​ ​school hours, as part of a school assignment or activity, or utilizes school district​ ​resources such as computers, software, facilities, or materials, all ownership of​ ​Inventions conceived, created, or developed shall be vested in the School District,​ ​unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.​ ​Copyrightable Materials: Under the circumstances where an Employee or Mentor,​ ​either individually or as part of a group, conceives, creates, or develops Copyrightable​ ​Materials during school district hours, as part of a school district assignment or activity,​ ​or utilizes school district resources such as computers, software, facilities, or​ ​materials, all ownership of Copyrightable Materials conceived, created, or developed​ ​shall be vested in the School District, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.​ ​Any party may waive any rights to a Patentable Invention or Copyrightable Material.​ ​Any such waiver shall be in writing and signed by the superintendent or designee, or​ ​the Employee, Mentor, or Student.​ ​Mentors working on activities in the School District that may result in a Patentable​ ​Invention or Copyrightable Material shall sign an Acknowledgement and Release​ ​regarding this Policy prior to participating in activities with students or employees.​ ​AGREEMENT REFS:​ ​LEGAL REFS:​

​APT Agreement​

​20 U.S.C. 1232h (rights of students and​​parents to inspect​ i​nstructional materials and give prior consent for certain surveys,​ ​analysis and evaluation)​ ​C.R.S.​​22-1-123​​(district shall comply with federal​​law on protection​ ​of pupil rights; Colorado provisions regarding surveys, assessment,​ ​analysis and evaluation of students)​

​CROSS REFS.:​

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