2011-5548. 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 April 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: March 2, 2011.

Darrin A. King,

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

Institute of Education Sciences

Type of Review: New.

Title of Collection: Impact Evaluation of Race to the Top (RTT) and School Improvement Grants (SIG).

OMB Control Number: Pending.

Agency Form Number(s): N/A.

Frequency of Responses: Once.

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

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,180.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 4,673.

Abstract: This Office of Management and Budget (OMB) package requests clearance for activities to recruit 50 States and the District of Columbia, and up to 825 schools across an estimated 170 districts for inclusion in an evaluation of Race to the Top (RTT) and School Improvement Grants (SIG). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained substantial funding for systemic education reform. This included $4.35 billion in RTT grants, which were awarded to 11 States and the District of Columbia based both on their education reform plans and their past success in creating the conditions for reform, and $3 billion in additional funding for SIG, which is aimed at implementing one of four school turnaround models (STMs) in the lowest-performing schools. The evaluation is designed to (1) study the implementation of RTT and SIG; (2) analyze the impact of SIG-funded STMs on student outcomes using a regression discontinuity design; (3) analyze the impact of receipt of RTT funds on student outcomes using an interrupted time series design; and (4) investigate the relationship between STM turnaround models (and strategies within those models) and student outcomes in low-performing schools. No data are being collected or analyzed as part of recruitment activities. A second OMB submission will request clearance for the evaluation's data collection, analysis, and reporting activities. This future package will include data collection forms, and burden estimates of the number of respondents and hours of response time.

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 4468. 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.