2010-15179. Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

SUMMARY:

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, 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 August 23, 2010.

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 Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, 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: June 18, 2010.

Darrin A. King,

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

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Type of Review: New.

Title: State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) Annual Report Form.

OMB# Pending.

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Government, State Educational Agencies (SEAs) or Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 52.

Burden Hours: 11,648.

Abstract: The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program is authorized in Title XIV of Division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Pub. L. 111-5), which President Barack Obama signed into law on February 17, 2009.

Under the SFSF program, the U.S. Department of Education awards funds to Governors to help stabilize State and local budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential services, in exchange for a State's commitment to advance essential education reform in four areas: (1) Making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students, particularly students who are most in need; (2) establishing pre-K-to-college-and-career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement; (3) making progress toward rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including limited English proficient students and students with disabilities; and (4) providing targeted, intensive support and effective interventions for the lowest-performing schools.

Section 14008 of ARRA requires each State receiving funds to submit an annual report to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, that describes:

(1) The uses of funds provided under this title within the State;

(2) How the State distributed the funds it received under this title;

(3) The number of jobs that the Governor estimates were saved or created with funds the State received under this title;

(4) Tax increases that the Governor estimates were averted because of the availability of funds from this title;

(5) The State's progress in reducing inequities in the distribution of highly qualified teachers, in implementing a State longitudinal data system, and in developing and implementing valid and reliable assessments for limited English proficient students and children with disabilities;

(6) The tuition and fee increases for in-State students imposed by public institutions of higher education in the State during the period of availability of funds under this title, and a description of any actions taken by the State to limit those increases;

(7) The extent to which public institutions of higher education maintained, increased, or decreased enrollment of in-State students, including students eligible for Pell Grants or other need-based financial assistance; and

(8) A description of each modernization, renovation and repair project funded, which shall include the amounts awarded and project costs.

Each State will submit to the Department two SFSF annual reports. The initial report will be due to the Department by January 7, 2011. This report will cover the period from the State's receipt of SFSF funds through September 30, 2010. Each State must submit its final SFSF report by January 6, 2012. The final report will provide data for the period extending through September 30, 2011, the deadline for obligation of SFSF funds.

The Department will, with the assistance of a contractor, evaluate the information in each report and use the data to prepare for the Congress the Secretary's Report required under Section 14110 of the ARRA. In addition, the data will inform the Department's administration and oversight of the program. In particular, it will provide useful information on the uses and impact of SFSF funds.

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 4315. 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.