The Committee for External Research Review (CERR), led by the Office of Research and Program Evaluation (ORPE; formerly the Strategic Data and Evaluation Branch), reviews, approves, and monitors all research conducted in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). 

CERR accepts applications for three distinct types of research and/or data collection activities:

1. Standard Research/Evaluation Study: Study conducted inside LAUSD schools or involves recruitment and participation of anyone associated with the District (administrators, teachers, parents, students). If the study requires non-public LAUSD administrative data, a Data Use Agreement with the Data Privacy, Analysis, and Reporting Branch (DPAR) will also be required. If you only need school- or district-level data, you will find a wide array of publicly-available information regarding the work of LAUSD and its impact on students, teachers, principals and parents in the LAUSD Open Data Portal: opendata.lausd.org   

2. Action Research: Study conducted by practitioners to improve practices in their own school/classroom setting. Typically conducted as part of a Master's or Ed.D. thesis.

3. Program Monitoring: Data collection intended solely for internal use for program improvement and not for public reporting.

Proposals for all three types of projects must be submitted through the same link on the following page (see button below).

Submission Windows. Standard Research/Evaluation Study submissions are only accepted during defined submission windows. Researchers who miss the submission window will be encouraged to apply during the next submission window. CERR only processes proposals for Action Research and Program Monitoring outside of submission windows. For more information regarding late submission exceptions, please contact the CERR Team or call (213) 241-4100.

Benefit to the District. Due to the difficulties experienced by our school and District communities, only those research projects found by program decision-makers to be of concrete and timely benefit to the District will be approved. CERR, in concert with program staff, will determine the benefit to the District proposed by the researcher(s). Researchers will be required to meet periodically (at least twice annually) with District staff to provide study updates.

Graduate Student Surveys. In an effort to minimize survey fatigue among our students and staff, we do NOT accept proposals from graduate students who wish to distribute and collect surveys. Graduate students may still submit proposals that focus on qualitative research and/or administrative data (quantitative).

Research by LAUSD Principals. LAUSD principals who aim to conduct research at their school site are encouraged to contact the CERR Team to discuss participant recruitment strategies prior to applying. 

Click the button below to learn about detailed research guidelines and to access the proposal submission link.