2011-502. Notice of Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Comment request.

SUMMARY:

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before February 11, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Education Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10222, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, be faxed to [phone] or e-mailed to [e-mail] with a cc: to [e-mail]. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The OMB is particularly interested in comments which: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Dated: January 6, 2011.

Darrin A. King,

Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management.

Office of Vocational and Adult Education

Type of Review: Extension.

Title of Collection: Measuring Educational Gain in the National Reporting System for Adult Education.

OMB Control Number: 1830-0567.

Agency Form Number(s): N/A.

Frequency of Responses: Annually.

Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Government, State Educational Agencies or Local Educational Agencies.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 15.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 600.

Abstract: Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 462 establish procedures that the Secretary uses when considering the suitability of tests for use in the National Reporting System (NRS) for adult education. The regulations further the Department's implementation of section 212 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). These regulations also include procedures that States and Local eligible providers would follow when using suitable tests. The AEFLA makes accountability for results a central focus of the law. It sets out performance accountability requirements for States and Local programs that measure program effectiveness on the basis of student academic achievement and other outcomes.

Educational gain, is the key outcome measure in the NRS, which describes students' improvement in literacy skills during instruction. States are required to have their local programs assessments gained by administering standardized pre-post assessments to students, following valid administration procedures. The NRS Guidelines allow states to select the assessments most appropriate for their state, which may be published standardized tests or performance-based assessments. If the state uses performance-based assessments, NRS guidelines require the assessment to have standardized procedures and scoring rubrics that meet accepted psychometric standards.

Requests for copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may be accessed from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain or from the Department's Web site at http://edicsweb.ed.gov,, by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 4422. When you access the information collection, click on “Download Attachments ” to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address [e-mail] or faxed to 202-401-0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number when making your request.

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.