[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24933-24934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10090]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Office of the 
Secretary; Race to the Top Annual Performance Report

SUMMARY: The Department has developed a Race to the Top Annual 
Performance Report that is tied directly to the Race to the Top 
selection criteria and priorities previously established and published 
in the Federal Register. The report is grounded in the key

[[Page 24934]]

performance targets included in grantees' approved Race to the Top 
plans. Grantees will be required to report on their progress in the 
four core education reform areas and in Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics. This reporting includes narrative 
sections on progress and key performance indicators. As was the case in 
the completion of the Race to the Top applications, grantees will 
coordinate with LEAs to collect and report on school and district-level 
data elements.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding burden and/or the collection 
activity requirements should be electronically mailed to 
[email protected] or mailed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. 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 04845. 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 [email protected] or faxed to 202-
401-0920. Please specify the complete title of the information 
collection and OMB Control Number when making your request.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-
8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) requires that Federal agencies provide 
interested parties an early opportunity to comment on information 
collection requests. The Director, Information Collection Clearance 
Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office 
of Management, publishes this notice containing proposed information 
collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental review of the 
information collection. 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. Please note that written comments received in response to 
this notice will be considered public records.
    Title of Collection: Race to the Top Annual Performance Report.
    OMB Control Number: 1894-0012.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement, without change of a previously 
approved collection.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 19.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,845.
    Abstract: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 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 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.
    In order to fulfill our responsibilities for programmatic oversight 
and public reporting, the Department has developed a Race to the Top 
Annual Performance Report that is tied directly to the Race to the Top 
selection criteria and priorities previously established and published 
in the Federal Register. The report is grounded in the key performance 
targets included in grantees' approved Race to the Top plans. Grantees 
will be required to report on their progress in the four core education 
reform areas and in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. 
This reporting includes narrative sections on progress and key 
performance indicators. As was the case in the completion of the Race 
to the Top applications, grantees will coordinate with LEAs to collect 
and report on school and district-level data elements.
    In order to robustly fulfill our programmatic and fiscal oversight 
responsibilities, it is essential that we gather this data from Race to 
the Top grantees and subgrantees. In the first year of the grant, the 
APR was collected through an emergency clearance approval. In order to 
allow for a comprehensive assessment of progress for the remaining 
grant period to both update the public and Congress about Race to the 
Top and pinpoint areas requiring technical assistance, we are 
requesting a three-year clearance with this form.
    Additionally, through the Department of Defense and Full-Year 
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (FY 2011 Appropriations Act), the 
Department made a total of $200 million in grants to seven additional 
States in Phase 3 to invest in a portion of their plans from the Phase 
2 competition. The Department is requesting these States, who will 
complete a sub-set of the APR based on their approved plans, be 
included in the three-year clearance with this form.

    Dated: April 23, 2012.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-10090 Filed 4-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P