VT - LCPS Collaboration

Spring 2025 Loudoun County Public Schools Process

For further details about this process, please refer to School Board Policy 6530 [PDF] “Changing School Attendance Zones” and the supplement School Board Regulation 6530 [PDF] which outlines the process followed during a school rezoning.

Community members and interested citizens are encouraged to participate in the process. For meeting times and dates please refer to the Loudoun County Public Schools Planning and GIS Services webpage.

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Review the informed consent agreement and agree at the bottom of the page to continue.

Informed Consent Agreement

Title of Project:
Fostering Civic Engagement through Community Data Exploration

I. Purpose of this Research Project

You are being asked to participate in a research study. We are studying how software can help people understand and positively influence changes happening in their communities. We will use these results to better understand how people make sense of complex information, how they engage with local government and fellow community members, and how new software designs can help them. The results of this study may be published in academic conferences or journals or included in student theses and dissertations.

II. Procedures

If you agree to participate, we will ask you to do the following activities:

Complete an online pre-survey with some basic information, including your home address, your demographics (age, gender, etc.), and how you feel about your local community
Use a new website called Redistrict that shows you what is happening with school districts in your area
Complete an online post-survey about your feelings towards your local community

The entire study should take 30 to 60 minutes.

III. Risks

The risks of the study are minimal and are similar to what you would encounter doing everyday computer tasks like searching the Internet, writing a document, or checking email.

IV. Benefits

As a result of this study, you may benefit from a better understanding of your school district and any planned changes to it. You may also feel a stronger connection to your local community. This study may also benefit science by creating new knowledge about human behavior and effective software designs. This study may also benefit society by creating better ways for governments to interact with the people they represent.

No promise or guarantee of benefits has been made to encourage you to participate.

V. Extent of Anonymity and Confidentiality

We will collect your email address and home address, but these details will be stored separately from the rest of your study data, and only the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator will have the ability to link them. We will aggregate (mix your data with many other people’s) or anonymize you (use a fake name) when referring to your study data in any publications or presentations. At the conclusion of the study, we will destroy the link to your personal information.

The Virginia Tech (VT) Institutional Review Board (IRB) may view the study’s data for auditing purposes. The IRB is responsible for the oversight of the protection of human subjects involved in research.

VI. Compensation

There is no financial compensation for participating in this study.

VII. Freedom to Withdraw

It is important for you to know that you are free to withdraw from this study at any time without penalty. You are free not to answer any questions that you choose or respond to what is being asked of you without penalty.

Please note that there may be circumstances under which the investigator may determine that a subject should not continue as a subject.

Should you withdraw or otherwise discontinue participation, you will be compensated for the portion of the project completed in accordance with the Compensation section of this document.

VIII. Questions or Concerns

Should you have any questions about this study, you may contact one of the research investigators whose contact information is included at the beginning of this document.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the study’s conduct or your rights as a research subject, or need to report a research-related injury or event, you may contact the VT IRB Chair, Dr. David M. Moore at moored@vt.edu or (540) 231-4991.

Principal Investigator:

Dr. Naren Ramakrishnan (Professor of Computer Science, Virginia Tech)

Email: naren@cs.vt.edu
Phone: 571-858-3331

Other Investigators:

Andreea Sistrunk (Graduate Student, Virginia Tech)

Email: sistrunk@vt.edu

Nathan Self (Research Associate, Virginia Tech)

Email: nwself@vt.edu

IX. Subject's Consent

I have read the Consent Form and conditions of this project. I have had all my questions answered. I hereby acknowledge the above and give my voluntary consent:

IX. Electronic Consent

Please select your choice below. You may print a copy of this consent form for your records. By clicking on the “Agree” button you indicate that

You have read and understand the above information.
You voluntarily agree to participate.
You are 18 years of age or older.

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Electronic consent:

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Street address: Sorry, this survey is intended for Loudoun county residents only. Agree to the consent to enable.

Email: Agree to the consent to enable.

Email me when new LCPS plans are added to this site:

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You will receive an email with your unique participation link.