00-1756. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

SUMMARY:

The Leader, Information Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before February 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Danny Werfel, Desk Officer, Department of Education, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, N.W., Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503 or should be electronically mailed to the internet address [e-mail].

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. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Information Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment.

Dated: January 20, 2000.

William E. Burrow,

Leader, Information Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Office of Postsecondary Education

Type of Review: Revision

Title: State Report Card on Teacher Preparation Programs

Frequency: One time

Affected Public: State, local and Tribal Gov'ts

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 57 Burden Hours: 114

Abstract: There is a Congressionally mandated study of teacher certification and licensure requirements, called for in section 207 of P.L. 105-244, the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (20 USC 1027). Section 207, subsection (c), paragraph (1) calls for information in three areas to be submitted by the states to the Secretary of Education within six months of the passage of the legislation (i.e. April 8, 1999). The three areas are: ( Subsection (b), paragraph (1): “A description of the teacher certification and licensure assessments, and any other certification and licensure requirements, used by the State.”; • Subsection (b), paragraph (5): “The percentage of teaching candidates who passed each of the assessments used by the State for teacher certification and licensure, disaggregated and ranked, by the teacher preparation program in the State from which the teacher candidate received the candidate's most recent degree, which shall be made available widely and publicly”; • Subsection (b), paragraph (6): “Information on the extent to which teachers in the State are given waivers of State certification or licensure requirements, including the proportion of such teachers distributed across high-and low-poverty districts and across subject areas.”

Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, or should be addressed to Vivian Reese, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 5624, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the internet address [e-mail] or faxed to 202-708-9346.

Questions regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be directed to Joseph Schubart at [phone] or via his internet address [e-mail]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.