2020-18697. Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Study of District and School Uses of Federal Education Funds

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision to an existing information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 26, 2020.

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-2020-SCC-0138. 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, ED 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 by fax or email and those 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 Director of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W208B, Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Stephanie Stullich, 202-245-6468.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), 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. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 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. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Study of District and School Uses of Federal Education Funds.

OMB Control Number: 1850-0951.

Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 919.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 7,370.

Abstract: The Study of District and School Uses of Federal Education Funds will examine targeting and resource allocation for five major federal education programs: Part A of Titles I, II, III, and IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Title I, Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as funds provided to school districts through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The study will collect, from a nationally representative sample of 400 school districts, detailed data on revenues, expenditures, and personnel for the federal programs covered in this study. In addition, the study will collect data on suballocations of those federal funds to districts and schools to examine how the distribution of funds varies in relation to program goals and student needs and will conduct telephone interviews in nine districts to explore how districts use IDEA funds in conjunction with other federal, state, and local funds to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Dated: August 20, 2020.

Stephanie Valentine,

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