2011-24137. Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Comment Request.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Education (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 and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records 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 November 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to [e-mail] or mailed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. 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 Federal agencies provide interested parties an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, publishes this notice containing proposed information collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental review of the information collection. 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: September 15, 2011.

Darrin King,

Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.

Institute of Education Sciences

Type of Review: Revision.

Title of Collection: Impact Evaluation of Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants.

OMB Control Number: 1850-0884.

Agency Form Number(s): N/A.

Frequency of Responses: Once.

Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,529.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 2,459.

Abstract: This OMB package requests clearance for data collection, analysis, and reporting activities from 50 states and the District of Columbia, and approximately 134 districts and 1,200 schools as part of 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 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- or RTT-funded STMs on student outcomes using a regression discontinuity design; (3) analyze the relationship between receipt of RTT funds and 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. This Office of Management and Budget package follows a previously approved package for recruitment activities (#1850-0884), and includes data collection forms, and burden estimates of the number of respondents and hours of response time.

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 4718. 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 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.