E8-24637. Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

SUMMARY:

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before December 15, 2008.

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 IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, 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.

The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology.

Dated: October 9, 2008.

Angela C. Arrington,

IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: 21st Century Community Learning Centers Annual Performance Report.

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 1,400.

Burden Hours: 36,400.

Abstract: Originally authorized under Title X, Part I, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the program was initially administered through the U.S. Department of Education, which provided grants directly to over 1,825 grantees. With the reauthorization of the program under the No Child Left Behind Act, direct administration of the program was transferred to state education agencies (SEA) to administer their own grant competitions. Preliminary data shows that states have awarded approximately 1,400 grants to support more than 4,700 centers in every state in the country. The purpose of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, as reauthorized under Title IV, Part B, of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 4201 et seq. (20 U.S. Code 7171 et seq.), is to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low-performing schools. To reflect the changes in the authorization and administration of the 21st CCLC program and to comply with its reporting requirements, the Education Department (ED) is requesting authorization for the collection of data through Web-based, data-collection modules, the Annual Performance Report, the Grantee Profile, the Competition Overview, and the State Activities module, which collectively will be housed in an application called the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS). The data will continue to be used to fulfill ED's requirement under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) to report to Congress annually on the implementation and progress of 21st CCLC projects and the use of state administrative and technical assistance funds allocated to the states to support the program. The data collection will also provide SEA liaisons with needed descriptive data about their grantees and allow SEA liaisons to conduct performance monitoring and identify areas of needed technical assistance.

Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 3860. 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 [e-mail] or faxed to 202-401-0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to [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.