[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56270-56271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24648]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.
SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory Information Management Group, 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 
December 1, 2003.

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 Leader, Regulatory Information 
Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes 
that 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.
    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: September 24, 2003.
Angela C. Arrington,
Leader, Regulatory Information Management Group, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

    Type of Review: Reinstatement.
    Title: Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
Biennial Performance Report.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Federal Government; State, local or Tribal Gov't, 
SEAs or LEAs.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
     Responses: 60.
     Burden Hours: 12,000.
    Abstract: State educational agencies are required to establish 
goals for the performance of children with disabilities in that State 
that promote the purposes of Part B of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act (Part B). States must also establish 
performance indicators that the State will use to assess its progress 
in achieving these goals. Section 612(a)(16) of Part B requires States 
to report to the Secretary on the progress that the State has made 
toward meeting its goals. The Office of Special Education Programs 
(OSEP) is implementing an integrated, four-part accountability 
strategy: (1) Verifying the effectiveness and accuracy of States' 
monitoring, assessment, and data collection systems; (2) attending to 
States at high-risk for compliance, financial, and/or management 
failure; (3) supporting States in assessing their performance and 
compliance, and in planning, implementing, and evaluating improvement 
strategies; and (4) focusing OSEP's intervention on States with low 
ranking Reporting requirements for States' Self-Assessments, 
Improvement Plans, and Biennial Performance Reports are being combined 
in this Part B Annual Performance Report.
    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 2355. 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 should be directed to Sheila Carey at her e-mail address 
[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information

[[Page 56271]]

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[FR Doc. 03-24648 Filed 9-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P