BUDGET CUTS AT NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MAY THREATEN STUDENT PRIVACY
The following was written by a concerned stakeholder who prefers to stay anonymous. One wonders if the budget savings involved in DOE’s decision to cut the only part-time staff assistant vetting research proposals is worth risking student privacy.
NYC public school students are diverse demographically, culturally, linguistically, and academically and there are a wide variety of programs established to meet their needs. The NYC Department of Education Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews over 500 research proposals every year, many of which aim to evaluate these programs and test new curriculums. A large portion of these proposals target the most vulnerable NYC DOE students and families.
An IRB is an administrative body that is formally designated to review human subject research proposals, to protect the rights of those individuals who are recruited to participate in research activities. For most people, the mention of an IRB conjures images of drug trials or medical treatment research. However, IRBs don’t solely exist for biomedical research. Social science research that collects personal information about participants is also subject to IRB review, and education research is no exception.
Historically, the NYC DOE IRB Board has been supported by only one full-time Director and only one part-time consultant who are tasked with initial review of all submitted proposals, communication with the research community, as well as oversight and compliance CONTINUE READING: Budget cuts at NYC Department of Education may threaten student privacy | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy
