[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44388-44389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15225]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation (NSF) 
is inviting the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on 
this proposed continuing information collection. This is the second 
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal 
Register at 70 FR 20937 and one comment was received. NSF is forwarding 
the proposed submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second 
notice.

DATES: Comments regarding these information collections are best 
assured of having their full effect if received by OMB within 30 days 
of publication in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding (a) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
NSF, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) 
the accuracy of NSF's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; or (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
National Science Foundation, 725-17th Street, NW., Room 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 295, 
Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Copies of 
the submission may be obtained by calling (703) 292-7556.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimption, NSF Reports 
Clearance Officer at (703) 292-7556 or send e-mail to [email protected].
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Comment: On April 22, 2005, we published in the Federal Register 
(70 FR 20937) a 60-day notice of our intent to request renewal of this 
information collection authority from OMB. In that notice, we solicited 
public comments for 60 days ending June 21, 2005. One comment was 
received from the public notice. The comment came from B. Sachau of 
Floram Park, NJ., via e-mail on April 30, 2005. Ms. Sachau had no 
specific suggestions for altering the data collection, other than to 
express a desire for it to end.
    Response: NSF believes that because the comment does not pertain to 
the collection of information or the required forms for which NSF is 
seeking OMB approval, NSF is proceeding with the clearance request.
    Title of Collection: Cross-Project Evaluation of The National 
Science Foundation's Local Systemic Change Through Teacher Enhancement 
Program (LSC).
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0161.
    Abstract: The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests a three-
year extension for evaluation and data collection (e.g., surveys and 
interviews) from participants in projects funded by the Local Systemic 
Change (LSC) through Teacher Enhancement (TE) program. This recurring 
study or ``Cross-Project Evaluation'' was most recently approved 
through July 2005 (OMB 345-0161). The LSC program is a large-scale 
effort to modify the nature of teacher in-service training (also called 
professional development) provided to science and mathematics teachers 
in a large number of school districts across the United States. NSF 
provided each individual project with a grant(s) of up to $6 million.
    Data collection from the NSF-funded LSC projects has been going on 
for a long number of years. The surveys and interview protocols are 
part of a longitudinal data collection used for program-wide monitoring 
and evaluation of the remaining LSC projects. The universe of LSC 
projects the last time this collection was renewed was 72. The current 
universe for this study of LSC projects is 15. NSF does not 
anticipating making new project awards under the LSC program. As in the 
past each of the projects will administer teacher and principal 
questionnaires (surveys) at appropriate times during the school year 
based on each the evaluation's design.
    Horizon Research, Inc. maintains survey responses in a database 
designed to provide information and reports on LSC projects for 
individual project accountability and for overall assessment to help 
NSF judge program effectiveness. Horizon's data analysis and reports 
are useful both to the projects themselves for self-assessments and to 
the NSF in order to help to measure the LSC program's performance. In 
particular, NSF uses these data to respond to requests from Committees 
of Visitors, Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, 
particularly as related to the Government Performance and Results Act 
(GPRA) and the Program Effectiveness Rating Tool (PART).
    Horizon's reports to NSF deal with the characteristics and 
performance of the LSC program and include tables and charts generated 
from the database. The LSC study's broad questions addressed by data 
analysis include (but are not limited to):
    What is the impact of the LSC projects on science and mathematics 
curriculum, instruction, and assessment? How do participant reports of 
instructional practice change over the course of the LSC projects? How 
do participant reports of assessment practice change over the course of 
the projects? How do teacher and principal beliefs about effective 
science and mathematics instruction change over the course of the NSF-
funding for the projects? What is the overall quality of the 
professional development activities? How do participants rate various 
aspects of professional development experiences provided by the 
projects? What is the extent of teacher involvement in these projects?
    Respondents: Individuals or households, and not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 5650.
    Burden on the Public: 1870 hours.


[[Page 44389]]


    Dated: July 27, 2005.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 05-15225 Filed 8-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M