2023-19879. Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Evaluation of the REL Appalachia Teaching Math to Young Children Toolkit

AGENCY:

Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing a new information collection request (ICR).

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 13, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED–2023–SCC–0161. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, the Department will temporarily accept comments at [e-mail]. Please include the docket ID number and the title of the information collection request when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that comments submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Manager of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 4C210, Washington, DC 20202–8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Amy Johnson, 202–453–5974.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department, 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. The Department is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department 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: Evaluation of the REL Appalachia Teaching Math to Young Children Toolkit.

OMB Control Number: 1850–NEW.

Type of Review: A new ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 320.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 95.

Abstract: Mathematics knowledge acquired in early childhood provides a critical foundation for long-term student success in math as well as reading (Duncan et al., 2007; Watts et al., 2014), but the professional development (PD) and curricular support for preschool teachers often lack specific content and training on high-quality math instruction delivered by math content experts. To address this problem, the REL Appalachia toolkit development team is developing a toolkit to provide preschool teachers with support in implementing core teaching practices essential to promoting early math skills and knowledge in children. The toolkit is based on the Teaching Math to Young Children IES practice guide (Frye et al., 2013) and is being developed in collaboration with state and district partners in Virginia.

IES requests clearance for activities to support the recruitment of schools and districts to participate in an efficacy study of the toolkit as part of the REL Appalachia contract. A second OMB package, which will be submitted later this year, will request clearance for data collection instruments and the collection of district administrative data.

The study will assess the efficacy of the professional development resources included in the toolkit. The evaluation will also assess how teachers implement the toolkit to provide context for the efficacy findings and guidance to improve the toolkit and its future use.

The evaluation will take place in 50 schools across approximately 10 school divisions in Virginia and focus on mathematics teaching practices and student mathematics knowledge and skills in preschool classrooms. The purpose of this study will be to measure the efficacy and implementation of the REL AP-developed toolkit designed to improve teacher practice and preschool students' math learning outcomes. The toolkit evaluation will produce a report for district and school leaders who are considering strategies to improve math learning in preschool. The report will be designed to help them decide whether and how to use the toolkit to help them implement the practice guide recommendations.

Dated: September 11, 2023.

Stephanie Valentine,

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