TEXAS COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS INITIATIVE
Student Participation Agreement
Dear Student:
Texas A&M University is committed to preparing you for success in college. As part of this goal,
Jill Zarestky is partnering with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the
Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) to use a newly developed College Readiness
Assignment in your classroom. The Assignment targets specific College and Career Readiness
Standards. Mastery of these standards will improve your preparation for college and the skilled
workforce.
If you decide to participate, your teacher may ask you to submit a work sample from the assignment
so that it can be used by a team of consultants who are experts in education. These consultants will
use your work to create a scoring system that will help students and teachers determine levels of
college and career readiness. Next fall, the new scoring system will also be piloted in classrooms
like yours, and eventually these assignments and college and career readiness tools will be available
for all teachers. The results of this project will give all teachers throughout Texas more tools to help
prepare all students for postsecondary success, whether in college or in the skilled workforce.
Use of Student Work
EPIC and the THECB are seeking permission to collect and use student work samples in ways that
relate to the development of a performance-based assessment model to determine postsecondary
readiness. The use of student work by EPIC and the THECB may include, but is not limited to:
distribution to educational consultants to aide in the development of scoring guides; EPIC and
THECB informational and training activities; public informational activities; media informational
activities; and electronic dissemination to support the aforementioned purposes.
EPIC and the THECB will not be grading your assignment and will not be discussing your work
with your teacher. If you do not provide consent to use your work, your teacher may still require
you to do all work related to this assignment and grade your work, but your work will not be
submitted to researchers.
Confidentiality
EPIC and the THECB will take all steps necessary to make sure your identity is kept confidential. Whenever it is necessary to do so, student work will be labeled only with coded numbers. No
student names will be associated with any piece or collection of work. A list of names and
corresponding code numbers will be maintained by EPIC. Access to the list will be restricted to
authorized EPIC employees who need such access for the administration of the research. Code
numbers will be destroyed no later than the end of the project in January 2011 to further protect
student confidentiality.
Terms of Consent
Your participation in this project is voluntary. Your decision to participate will not affect your grade
for the applicable assignments. If you decide to submit work to EPIC and the THECB, you are free
TEXAS COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS INITIATIVE
to withdraw your consent and discontinue participation at any time. If you decide to withdraw, any
work submitted by you will, upon your request, be destroyed or returned to you if possible. Any of
your work that may have been submitted for publication or has been published as part of a scholarly
article or packet of resource materials will not be destroyed and will be available for publishing.
EPIC and the THECB do not believe there are any risks related to your participation and hope that
your work will help to better prepare all students in Texas for college and career success. If after
reading this statement you have any questions or you do not want your work to be used by our
consultants, please notify your teacher.
You will be offered a copy of this form to keep for your records. If you have any questions
regarding the research, contact the Texas College and Career Readiness Initiative toll-free at
(877) 766-2279 or tx_ccrs@epiconline.org.
Parent Consent and Student Assent for participants under 18 years of age
Your signature indicates that you have read and understand the information provided above, that
you agree to submit your student’s work to EPIC and the THECB, and that you may withdraw your
consent at any time and discontinue participation without penalty or prejudice. Your signature
further indicates that EPIC and the THECB may use, or cause to be used, while maintaining the
confidentiality of your student’s identity, the items submitted by your student for any and all
publications, reproductions, or broadcasts, without limitation or reservation, for any purpose related
to the Texas College and Career Readiness Initiative.
Student Name (printed):
Student Signature:
Parent/Guardian Name (printed):
Parent/Guardian Signature:
Date:
Consent for students over 18 years of age
Your signature indicates that you have read and understand the information provided above, that
you agree to submit your work to EPIC and the THECB, and that you may withdraw your consent
at any time and discontinue participation without penalty or prejudice. Your signature further
indicates that EPIC and the THECB may use, or cause to be used, while maintaining the
confidentiality of your identity, the items submitted by you for any and all publications,
reproductions, or broadcasts, without limitation or reservation, for any purpose related to the Texas
College and Career Readiness Initiative.
Student Name (printed):
Student Signature:
Date: