[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 58 (Thursday, March 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14688-14689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7882]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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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: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 26, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments 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, DC 20202-4651.

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 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. 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 prior to submission of these 
requests to OMB. 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. OMB 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: March 20, 1998.
Gloria Parker,
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Consolidated State Performance Report.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: State, local or Tribal Gov't; SEAs or LEAs.
    Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
      Responses: 52.
      Burden Hours: 52.
    Abstract: The reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
(ESEA), in general, and its provision for submission of consolidated 
plans, in particular (see section 14301 of the ESEA), emphasize the 
importance of cross-program coordination and integration of federal 
programs into educational activities carried out with State and local 
funds. Yet while nearly all States receive ESEA formula grant program 
funding on the basis of consolidated plans, until now the Department 
has still required states to report on program performance and 
beneficiaries on a program-by-program basis. Continuing to do so sends 
an inconsistent message about the value of consolidated planning and 
program integration as tools for increasing student achievement. This 
consolidated state reporting instrument would replace individual 
program reporting under ESEA programs and Goals 2000 for all entities 
that submit ESEA consolidated plans (and be an optional reporting 
vehicle for the other states). It will allow state and local officials 
and educators to see, at one time, the full scope of their reporting 
(and corresponding data collection) responsibilities, and promote the 
Department's interest in (1) receiving essential information on how 
states have implemented their approved consolidated state plans and (2) 
promoting the Department's ability to provide assistance to states on 
how they may be able to use federal funds most effectively. In 
addition, the state consolidated performance report is intended as an 
initial step toward an optimal design to track indicators of program 
performance, including those the Department is required to develop 
under the Government Performance and Results Act. It is expected that 
reporting in future consolidated instruments will

[[Page 14689]]

change as the U.S. Department of Education and the states develop their 
capacities to elicit and use accurate and reliable information for 
monitoring, reporting, and improvement.

[FR Doc. 98-7882 Filed 3-25-98; 8:45 am]
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