[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5508-5509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2530]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection requests.

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SUMMARY: The Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information 
collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: An emergency review has been requested in accordance with the 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 3507 (j)), since public harm is reasonably 
likely to result if normal clearance procedures are followed. Approval 
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been requested by 
February 19, 1998. A regular clearance process is also beginning. 
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 6, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be 
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Dan Chenok, Desk Officer: Department of Education, Office of 
Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503. Requests for copies of the 
proposed information collection request should be addressed to Patrick 
J. Sherrill, Department of Education, 7th & D Streets, S.W., Room 5624, 
Regional Office Building 3, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. Written 
comments regarding the regular clearance and requests for copies of the 
proposed information collection requests should be addressed to Patrick 
J. Sherrill, Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Room 5624, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651, or 
should be electronic mailed to the internet address #[email protected], or 
should be faxed to 202-708-9346.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Sherrill (202) 708-8196. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 3506 (c)(2)(A) requires that 
the Director of OMB provide interested Federal agencies and the public 
an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The 
Office of Management and Budget (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 Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, publishes this notice containing proposed 
information collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental 
review of the information collection. 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. ED invites public comment at the address 
specified above. Copies of the requests are available from Patrick J. 
Sherrill at the address specified above.
    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: January 28, 1998.
Gloria Parker,
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.

Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

    Type of Review: Emergency.
    Title: Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program: Professional 
Development.
    Abstract: The FY 1998 Technology Innovation Challenge Grant 
competition will focus on professional development by providing support 
to consortia that are developing, adapting, or expanding applications 
of technology training for teachers and other educators to improve 
instruction.
    Additional Information: The Department is requesting the emergency 
clearance because of an unanticipated change in program direction. The 
new direction, received in October 1997 through Conference Report 
language accompanying the FY 1998 appropriation, substantially changed 
the focus of the program. Since that time, Department staff have been 
conferring both internally and with congressional staff on how best to 
move the direction of the program from one in which there is a broad 
perspective on supporting the best innovative approaches to integrating 
technology in the schools to

[[Page 5509]]

one in which there is a concerted focus on addressing the growing need 
for the professional development of teachers in using technology to 
improve instruction. In requesting this clearance, ED's primary concern 
is to allow applicant consortia adequate time to prepare strong 
applications given the significant change in program focus. In 
addition, we are concerned about having sufficient time to organize and 
use a very strong, but time-consuming three-tier review process for 
evaluating applications for funding. Requested approval date is 
February 19, 1998.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
      Responses: 350.
      Burden Hours: 8,750.

[FR Doc. 98-2530 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
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