[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7827-7828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3131]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection requests.

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SUMMARY: The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, 
Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, 
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 
March 15, 2011. It is encouraged that all comments are sent by March 
11, 2011. A regular clearance process is also beginning. Interested 
persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 12, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Education Desk Officer, 
Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10222, New 
Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, be faxed to (202) 395-
5806 or e-mailed to [email protected] with a cc: to 
[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

[[Page 7828]]

information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially 
interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory 
obligations. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, 
Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, 
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: February 8, 2011.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory 
Information Management Services, Office of Management.

Office of the Deputy Secretary

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Race to the Top Program Review Protocols.
    OMB #: Pending.
    Frequency: Monthly; Semi-Annually.
    Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Government, State 
Educational Agencies or Local Educational Agencies.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 48.
Burden Hours: 74.

    Abstract: The ARRA provides $4.3 billion for the Race to the Top 
Fund (referred to in the statute as the State Incentive Grant Fund). 
This is a competitive grant program. The purpose of the program is to 
encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for 
education innovation and reform; achieving significant improvement in 
student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student 
achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation 
rates, and ensuring student preparation for success in college and 
careers; and implementing ambitious plans in four core education reform 
areas: (a) Adopting internationally-benchmarked standards and 
assessments that prepare students for success in college and the 
workplace; (b) building data systems that measure student success and 
inform teachers and principals in how they can improve their practices; 
(c) increasing teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher 
distribution; and (d) turning around our lowest-achieving schools.
    The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) will collect this 
data from the 12 Race to the Top grantee states to inform its review of 
grantee implementation, outcomes, oversight, and accountability. The 
Department will use these forms to inform on-site visits, ``stocktake'' 
meetings with Implementation and Support Unit leadership at the 
Department, and annual reports for individual grantees and the grant 
program as a whole.
    In order to allow for the program review of the Race to the Top 
grantees to occur in a timely manner, we are committed to expediting 
the program review for Race to the Top, necessitating emergency 
clearance of the protocols.
    Additional Information: As work on the protocols evolved, the 
Department concluded that it was more efficient and effective to have a 
few common questions that would apply to all of the grantees. Due to 
this unanticipated result of the protocol development, the Department 
is requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clear the 
monitoring protocol on an emergency basis. This is the first year of 
implementation of a $4 billion dollar program, the largest 
discretionary grant program ever administered by the Department. As a 
result, the program continues to generate high public interest both for 
the Department and the Administration. Delays in finalizing this 
collection would also impede our ability to use this data to inform our 
technical assistance efforts in the first year of program 
implementation when support is critical. Additionally, as it is our 
intention to use much of the data gathered through this monitoring 
protocol to inform the on-site monitoring process, delay of clearance 
of this document will also hinder our on-site monitoring process.
    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 4513. When you access 
the information collection, click on ``Download Attachments '' to view. 
Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. 
Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address 
[email protected] or faxed to 202-401-0920. Please specify the 
complete title of the information collection when making your request.
    Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements should be electronically mailed to [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. 2011-3131 Filed 2-10-11; 8:45 am]
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