By Valencia Perry
06/18/2022
I’m going to address a question I received in preparation for a presentation I was invited to give at the Oregon Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s annual conference.
Screenshot taken from a Facebook post
Yes. It is possible to conduct a single subject experimental research study within a public school setting. In fact, many single-subject research studies have been conducted in public schools. Some school districts welcome researchers, while others avoid them at all costs regardless of whether or not you are an employee of the school or district.
The best way to get started is to ask. The first step is to ask. You want to keep the following things in mind as you prepare to pitch your idea in the form of a research proposal.
Ask with visuals. I recommend that you always request to meet in person or via zoom with the person who makes decisions about researchers conducting studies at the target school. Draft a very concise proposal with visuals to share. Think ahead about the questions they might ask and try to prepare for them.
Establish your value and your offer before you meet. Before you ever pitch the school on your idea, you should already know what you can offer them to entice them to allow you to study your population. One of my mentors instilled the idea of service to me. She required all of her research doctoral students to provide a free service to the school in exchange for the school allowing the researchers into their setting.
I encourage you to offer them something for allowing you into their space. If they ask for more than what you can reasonable provide them, don’t be afraid to respond with another offer or renegotiate terms. You don’t owe them anything until you make a promise. So, don’t make a promise that you can’t keep.
Expect the unexpected. Some districts and/or schools may require you to sign agreements, take trainings, offer trainings, serve, acknowledge them in your publications, or make other requests in exchange for your request to engage in research at the school and with their students. Some requests can be absurd but this shouldn’t offend you. Sometimes, a simple conversation can help redirect their expectations.
Be prompt in completing paperwork. If they require district-level approval, be sure to complete the paperwork as soon as possible, and to follow-up with staff in the central office frequently. While great to you, your study is probably of low importance to staffers of the school and district. So, be sure to be kind to them and follow up with them to keep you in their mind. However, don’t be a nuisance.
Use No’s to get closer to a Yes! After many “No” responses, I found myself becoming overcome with fear that I would not graduate. I once had a school district wait almost a year after I presented my proposal to 2 different officials (in different offices) to tell me that they had “changed their minds” about allowing me to investigate my intervention program’s effectiveness with their students. This was a failing school and I think they were afraid of potentially negative perceptions of their students being documented and/or shared publicly. I used the fuel from that rejection to tighten up my pitch and proposal and continue to share it with other public charter schools in the DC area. After a few cold calls, a public charter school director gave me the OK to meet with him and offer my pitch. I was elated and overprepared for the meeting. It paid off and I was allowed to conduct my experimental single case research study at that school. I visited the school 3-4 times per week and conducted the study in an English-teacher’s classroom during lunch and after school. I offered the school professional development, information on student progress, and other services in exchange for the school and teacher allowing me to use their students and space. This opportunity was a huge blessing for me because it allowed me to conduct my study in an environment consistent with the primary target audience—students— in their natural setting—school.
Design your study to contribute to the field.
Single subject research offers insight into the application of an intervention with a particular type of participant. We desperately need more of this type of research in speech-language pathology. I hope you consider designing an investigation in your school-based setting or clinical practice. If so, feel free to contact me to learn more about how you can leverage your clinical-research skills to design a study that is impactful and important to you and your target population.