It is the IRB's obligation to request a copy of the approval from the authorized individual within the school district to comply with their policies for all proposed research. Different school systems may have different procedures and the investigator is obligated to contact the school district and follow their policy. The policy of the University of Michigan Behavioral and Health Science Institutional Review Boards regarding school-based research is that investigators seeking to perform research in schools or day cares must provide written permission from an authorized individual to the Institutional Review Board before they may begin their project.
Some school districts maintains policies regarding research being conducted in their school.
For example, the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti school districts have formal written procedures that specifically outline their policies for granting permission to conduct research in their schools. Most school districts will provide that permission or may give authority to their superintendent. When seeking such approval, investigators are to contact those offices. There may be occasions where school districts are without a procedure in place to grant that permission. The Institutional Review Board suggested alternative to school district approval is to have the principal sign a statement saying that they have the authority to allow research to be conducted In their schools.