Parent/Guardian Informational Letter

Parent/Guardian Informational Letter

Your child’s math intervention teacher is helping us learn more about a new professional development course.

WestEd, a non-profit educational research agency, is learning about a new professional development course (PD course) developed by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands at Education Development Center. The U.S. Department of Education is funding this research study.

What is the research about?

The PD course will support intervention teachers in building their knowledge on how to assist students struggling with math. The course is created by EDC. In this research, we want to find out if using the course can help teachers improve intervention teachers’ practices so that they can better help students learn math.

What will my child do for the study?

During the school year, your child will complete two math tests during your math intervention class—one at the beginning, and one at the end of the year. He/she will also take two surveys about their attitudes towards math at the beginning and the end of the year. We will collect their answers to the math tests and surveys.

We would also like to collect background information from the district about your child, including gender, ethnicity, English Language Learner status, eligibility for free-or-reduced-price lunch, and participation in Individualized Education Program (IEP). This will help us better understand how children from different backgrounds and experiences learn math.

Do I have to allow my child to participate in the study?

No. It is completely voluntary. There are no penalties for you or your child if your child is not in the study. Your child’s grades and school status will not be affected. You can also remove your child from the study if you change your mind later. REL

Will our privacy be protected?

Yes. Your child’s privacy is extremely important to us. Because of this, we do several things to make sure that the data we collect about your child remains private. In this study, we will give your child a unique ID number—instead of your child’s name—to store the data we collect. When we are done collecting all the data for the study, we destroy the list so that it is impossible to link your child’s identity to any of the data. During the study, only the research team will have access to the data. We don‘t share this information with your child‘s teacher and principal, or anyone else. And please be assured that we will never use your child’s name or the name of any student when we share any of the information collected in this study. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample, which includes schools across the entire state, and will not associate responses with any specific individual. This guidance follows the policies and procedures required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183, responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific school, district, or individual. Any willful disclosure of such information for nonstatistical purposes, except as required by law, is a class E felony.

Are there any risks to being in the study?

We do not believe there will be any risks to your child beyond what they experience in their normal school activities.

Are there any benefits?

The results of the study will help the research field to learn about effective use of training and support for intervention teachers and how to better support students who struggle with math.

I have more questions. Who do I contact?

If you have questions about this project or participation in this project, please contact the project director: Dr. Kirk Walters. You may contact him at (443) 995-2508 or kwalters @wested.org. If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a participant, please contact the Institutional Review Board at WestEd by calling 844-472-5437 or e-mailing [email protected].

How does my child participate?

If you allow your child’s test scores to be used in the study, please fill out the information on the next page and return it to your child’s teacher.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-xxxx. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 50 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Janelle Sands at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at [email protected] directly.

Parent/Guardian Consent Form

I have read and understand the information about the study. All of my questions about the study have been answered to my satisfaction.

 Yes. I allow my child’s test scores to be included in the study.  No. I do not allow my child’s test scores to be included in the study*. *If you check the “No” box above, no test information from your child will be used in the study. However, your child will still participate in their class as usual, but their math intervention teacher may still use the PD course.
Student Name (PRINT)
School		Teacher
Parent/Legal Guardian Name (PRINT)
Parent/Legal Guardian Signature		Today’s Date

Please return this form to your child’s teacher.

Parent Consent Form 4/20/23