[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39368-39369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14289]


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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 Leader, Regulatory Information Management, 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 June 
12, 2002. A regular clearance process is also beginning. Interested 
persons are invited to submit comments on or before August 6, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be 
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Karen Lee, Desk Officer: Department of Education, Office of 
Management and Budget; 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 or should be electronically 
mailed to the Internet address [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) 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 Leader, Information 
Management Group, 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. 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 respondents, 
including through the use of information technology.

    Dated: June 3, 2002.
John D. Tressler,
Leader, Regulatory Information Management, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Local-Flex Application.
    Abstract: Application for local educational agencies (LEAs) seeking 
to enter into local flexibility demonstration agreements (``Local-
Flex'' agreements). By statute, the Department can select 80 LEAs 
through a competitive process with which to enter into Local-Flex 
agreements. These agreements give LEAs the flexibility to consolidate 
certain Federal education funds and to use those funds for any 
educational purpose permitted under the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act (ESEA) in order to meet the State's definition of 
adequate yearly progress (AYP) and specific measurable goals for 
improving student achievement and narrowing achievement gaps.
    Additional Information: An emergency clearance is necessary to 
enable the Department to select Local-

[[Page 39369]]

Flex agreement LEAs by September 15 of this year. While LEAs may still 
have difficulty implementing the program during school year 2002-03, 
approval after the school year begins will surely delay implementation 
to the following year. In our view, harm to the public would thus occur 
if this clearance is not approved by June 12, 2002. The Department 
plans to make applications available by mid-June to allow applicants 
sufficient time to prepare their Local-Flex agreement. The Department 
would then have approximately one month to complete a peer review and 
negotiate final agreements with selected applicants.
    Frequency: Semi-Annually.
    Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
      Responses: 240.
      Burden Hours: 19,200.
    Requests for 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 2058. When 
you access the information collection, click on ``Download 
Attachments'' to view. Written requests for information should be 
addressed to Vivian Reese, Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW, Room 4050, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 
20202-4651 or to the e-mail address [email protected]. Requests may 
also be electronically mailed to the Internet address [email protected] 
or faxed to 202-708-9346. Please specify the complete title of the 
information collection when making your request.
    Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements, contact Kathy Axt at (540) 776-7742 or via her Internet 
address [email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[FR Doc. 02-14289 Filed 6-6-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P