[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19824-19825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8455]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection requests.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Acting 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: 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 April 13, 
2004. A regular clearance process is also beginning. Interested persons 
are invited to submit comments on or before June 14, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be 
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: ED Desk Officer: Department of Education, Office of 
Management and Budget; 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 or faxed to (202) 395-6974.

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 Acting Leader, 
Regulatory 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: April 9, 2004.
Jeanne Van Vlandren,
Acting Leader, Regulatory Information Management Group, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer.

Office of Innovation and Improvements

    Type of Review: Revision.
    Title: DC School Choice Incentive Program.
    Abstract: This Program provides low-income parents that reside in 
DC with expanded options for acquiring a high quality education for 
their children. To be eligible for scholarships, participating students 
are DC residents and their household income does not exceed 185% of the 
poverty line.
    Additional Information: This request for an emergency clearance is 
to collect time critical information from parents who are interested in 
participating in the vitally important new initiative, the DC School 
Choice Incentive Program. This Program will give low-income parents in 
the District of Columbia more options for the education of their 
children and will provide the Nation with a unique opportunity to test 
and evaluate the impact of enhanced education choices. The statute 
calls for the Secretary of Education to carry out the Program in 
cooperation with the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Because the 
Program was just enacted in late January, the Department of Education 
conducted an expedited application process that awarded a grant in late 
March to the Washington Scholarship Fund, an organization that will 
actually administer the scholarship program. The grantee must 
immediately distribute scholarship applications to interested parents, 
collect preliminary information for the required evaluation, and design 
and conduct a lottery that will select the scholarship recipients--all 
before June. Because of the urgency of distributing this scholarship 
form and collecting information from interested participants, we are 
requesting emergency clearance by April 13, 2004.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Individuals or household.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
     Responses: 3,000.
     Burden Hours: 1,000.
    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 2468. When 
you access the information collection, click on ``Download 
Attachments'' to view. Written requests for information should be 
addressed to Vivian Reese,

[[Page 19825]]

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 her e-mail 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. 04-8455 Filed 4-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P