While SBISD recognizes the value of existing educational and organizational research, the district also acknowledges the need for continued research in these and other related areas. The Department of Accountability & Research, a Division of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, screens applications from graduate students, university researchers and other research organizations requesting access to SBISD as a research site. Each proposed project is reviewed according to district policy, sponsoring university protocol, and federal guidelines for the protection of human subjects, weighing the researcher's expectations of resources from the district, the intended target population(s), the potential risks and benefits to the target population and the district, and the degree of intrusiveness into the instructional program. All research in SBISD must address one or more of the district's board goals.