2020-25550. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education

AGENCY:

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision of a currently approved collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before December 21, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for proposed information collection requests should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection request by selecting “Department of Education” under “Currently Under Review,” then check “Only Show ICR for Public Comment” checkbox.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Braden Goetz, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 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. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education.

OMB Control Number: 1830-0027.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 57.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 5,700.

Abstract: This information collection request annually solicits performance and related information from the states and outlying areas that receive adult education state grant funds under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). The data are used to ensure that states and outlying areas meet the performance accountability requirements of AEFLA. Through this proposal, the Department is submitting a revised the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) Information Collection Request (ICR) to include additional data collection elements consistent with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) performance accountability requirements for the AEFLA program. These new data collection elements will become effective on July 1, 2021 and required to be included in the annual performance reports due on October 1, 2021.

Dated: November 16, 2020.

Kate Mullan,

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.