Application for Research in Bryan ISD

Please type and complete all sections of the application.

I. General Information:
Spatial evaluation of elementary school libraries: A prototype
Title of Project:
assessment tool
Date Submitted: November 14 2018
Submitted By: Rohit Kumar
Proposed Project Starting Date: November 26 2018
Proposed Project Ending Date: December 7 2018
Expected Date Findings will be
April 2020
Reported to District:
Overall Project Purpose:
(e.g., thesis, dissertation, journal Dissertation
publication)
Yes
Are you proposing
implementation of a program?
No
Curriculum or Instructional Methods Program (e.g.,
reading or science instruction using new methods or
materials)
Student Services Program (e.g., pregnancy prevention or
If yes, what type of program?
student mentoring)
Professional Development
Other program Type: Built environment and
pedagogy.
If your project will implement a
program, please briefly describe it
here, and attach a copy of your
proposed curriculum and or other
program materials.
For BISD Use Only
Approval Denial (attach explanation)
District program approval Revision and Resubmission (attach explanation)
signatures

Based on the Signature Date

information/process
described above, the Signature Date
following
recommendations are Signature Date
made:
Signature Date

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II. Lead Researcher/Student (if class project, thesis, or dissertation):
Name: Rohit Kumar

Organization/University: College of Architecture, Texas A&M University

Address: 3137 TAMU, College Station 77840

Phone: 979-985-8915

Email Address: rohit4th@tamu.edu

III. Project Director/Supervising Professor if class project, thesis or dissertation

Name: Dr. Valerian Miranda

Organization/University: College of Architecture, Texas A&M University

Address: 3137 TAMU, College Station 77840

Phone: 979-777-3285

Email Address: v-miranda@tamu.edu

COMMENTS (Please attach additional pages, if necessary.)

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 Application for Research in Bryan ISD

IV. Project Overview:

SAMPLE Number Description (Grades, Schools, Other Characteristics)

Students Not Applicable Not Applicable

Staff/Others Not Applicable Not Applicable

Parents/Guardians Not Applicable Not Applicable

PARTICIPATION Time Required Data Required (New & from School/Central Records)

Students Not Applicable Not Applicable

Staff/Others Not Applicable Not Applicable

Parents/Guardians Not Applicable Not Applicable

COMMENTS (Please attach additional pages, if necessary.)

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V. What hypothesis or research/evaluation question is being investigated?

This is a pilot study to determine the efficacy of a spatial data collection instrument. The research
question being investigated here is to what extent the elementary school library spaces have transformed
from rooms where books are stored.

VI. How will you obtain parental/guardian consent for participating students? What consents will be
obtained from other participants?

At this point my study does not require student participants.

VII. Is this a single study or one of a series planned or contemplated?

The study is one of a series planned.

VIII. Provide a brief summary of your research or evaluation design, including statistical analysis
procedures. If BISD databases will be used, please detail your variable and sampling needs.
Include your provisions for anonymity, inclusion of sensitive subject matter, invasive or sensitive
procedures, use of recording devices, etc. in your description.

This project aims to collect spatial data of elementary school libraries and this is a pilot study to validate
the data collection instrument. My purpose in the visit is to test my data collection instrument at the
institution to remove any deficiencies in it. No sensitive subject matter shall be collected or any invasive
procedure performed.
This project will require, at most, two visits to the elementary school library facility. I shall require
permission to take photographs, access building drawings, record observations and make sketches of the
facility. In my visit I shall require to talk to the librarian to request the following information:

a) Gate count and the library usage statistics (pre-existing reports to be obtained if available else to
be written below).
b) Total items in the library in terms of books and other physical media.
c) History of the library and the timeline of changes happening there, such as spatial changes,
addition of furniture, equipment, etc.
d) Building drawings or egress plans if buildings drawings are unavailable.

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 e) Opinion of the librarian regarding the future of his/her library facility.
f) Total staff in the library.
g) Furniture information- types and quantity.
h) Equipment available for the users.

Apart from the above, I am to record my observations of the library in the data collection instrument,
which I have attached in this application. The data collected through observations concerns the people
using the facility, the built environment of the library and activities taking place. All the required
observable data is described in detail in the instrument.

IX. If using recording devices (video or audio), please answer the following:
How long will recordings be retained? 5 years
How will recordings be destroyed? Shredding of physical documents and deletion of digital
data.
Designate(s) who will use or have access Rohit Kumar, the lead researcher.
to recordings:
Use of recording specified in consent Not Applicable
form?
Location where consent forms will be Not Applicable
filed:

X. Use at least three of the most prominent studies, articles, or books from the knowledge base this
project addresses to answer the following questions: (Please attach additional pages if necessary.)
 How will this project contribute to Bryan Independent School District?
 How will this project contribute to the field of education or the area it addresses?

My research focus is on elementary school libraries and as a part of the doctoral program, my
dissertation focusses on developing an instrument to enable the assessment of elementary school
libraries from the perspectives of all stakeholders. For this purpose, it is necessary for me to visit and
collect data on the library space of elementary schools to validate my instrument (in the form of a data
sheet). 
The use of libraries in elementary schools is changing from being a room where students read and books
were stored to a learning space that hosts many activities fostering discovery, knowledge acquisition,
expression and exchange.  A major objective is to find out if the space is engaging for the students and
nurtures learning. For teachers, the study would intend to see if the space is adaptable to changing
pedagogical needs. The usage of such spaces have pedagogical implications as there could be multiple

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uses in one facility such as but not limited to collaborative activities, individual activities and so on
(Head, 2016). For administrators, it would attempt to determine financial effectiveness of the space and
if the space provides the value expected from the investment. Increasing cost of construction and the
need for improvement in student performance necessitates the need for efficient use of library spaces at
present (Gensler, 2014)(French and Maxwell, 2016). The project attempts to evaluate the use and
performance of existing elementary school libraries thereby providing an accountability of the financial
investment on elementary school libraries. The purpose of this iteration and the tool development is to
refine the work and identify data types to determine efficacy and to identify areas needed for
improvement in the method.

References:
 Head, A. J. (2016). Planning and Designing Academic Library Learning Spaces: Expert
Perspectives of Architects, Librarians, and Library Consultants. SSRN Electronic Journal.
doi:10.2139/ssrn.2885471
 Maxwell, L. E., & French, R. (2016). Elementary School Library Design: Student Perceptions of
a Learning Commons. Children, Youth and Environments, 26(2), 61.
doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.26.2.0061
 Gensler (2014, February 28). Future of the Academic Library Research. Research & Insight.
Retrieved August 24, 2017, from https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/research/future-of-the-
academic-library

XI. Source of project funds:

Not Applicable

XII. List equipment and names of instruments to be used (attach descriptions of commonly available
instruments or copies of researcher-developed or adapted instruments):

Camera
Photometer
Sound level meter

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XIII. Does any of the equipment or any procedure to be used constitute a potential emotional or physical
hazard to subjects?

No

Yes

If Yes, provide a detailed explanation

XIV. BISD Facilities needed:

 Sul Ross Elementary School, 3300 Parkway Terrace, Bryan, TX 77802.

XV. Will research/evaluation assistants collect data? If so, please provide names, job titles and
institutional affiliations.

Not Applicable

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XVI. Complete this section only if you are requesting employee email addresses to send invitations to
participate in research.

Researcher Request for Employee Email Addresses (allow 10 business days from the date of
approval)

Email address (this is where file with emails will be sent): _________Not Applicable__________

Best way to contact you with questions about this request: _________Not Applicable__________

Describe the email addresses you are requesting as specifically as possible.

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