2011-24952. Notice of Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Comment Request.

SUMMARY:

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records 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 October 28, 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: September 23, 2011.

Darrin King,

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

Office of Innovation and Improvement

Type of Review: New.

Title of Collection: Charter School Facilities National Questionnaire.

OMB Control Number: Pending.

Agency Form Number(s): N/A.

Frequency of Responses: Once.

Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 369.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 1107.

Abstract: According to Part B section 5201 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, one of the established purposes of the Charter School Program office in the US Department of Education (ED) is “encouraging the States to provide support to charter schools for facilities financing in an amount more nearly commensurate to the amount the States have typically provided for traditional public schools”. Currently, there is no national database, report, or analysis on the state of charter school facilities. This collection will help to understand the state of charter school facilities nationwide.

In the summer of 2007, the Colorado League of Charter Schools (the League) launched its Facilities 2010 Task Force, which was established to address charter school facility needs. One of the initiatives of the Facilities 2010 Task Force was to develop a questionnaire that inventoried the facilities landscape in Colorado. This questionnaire has since been customized and administered in several additional states. ED is looking to use and administer this questionnaire in additional states and compile the data from all states into a national facilities database. ED has plans to conduct this survey in approximately three to four states per year. ED will use the information from the questionnaire to include in a national database that will provide comprehensive information about the facilities for charter schools and the issues that charter school face in trying to obtain adequate facilities. The data will then be used to develop a report and an analysis.

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 4645. 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.