[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 178 (Thursday, September 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56634-56635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22508]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Office of 
Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development; Annual Mandatory 
Collection of Elementary and Secondary Education Data Through EDFacts

SUMMARY: The collection, use, and reporting of education data is an 
integral component of the mission of the U.S. Department of Education 
(ED). EDFacts, an ED initiative to put performance data at the center 
of ED's policy, management, and budget decision-making processes for 
all K-12 educational programs, has transformed the way in which ED 
collects and uses data. EDFacts provides an electronic submission 
system for state educational agencies (SEAs), and centralizes within ED 
the availability of the performance data supplied by SEAs to enable 
better analysis and use in policy development, planning, and 
management.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 13, 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 04929. 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: Annual Mandatory Collection of Elementary and 
Secondary Education Data Through EDFacts.
    OMB Control Number: 1875-0240.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 55.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 116,325.
    Abstract: ED is currently in the process of collecting data for the 
2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 school years as approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) (1875-0240). ED seeks another three-year 
approval for this collection. The proposed collection includes the 
2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 school years. (As part of this approval, 
it should be understood that ED is authorized to collect the data about 
these school years over whatever time is required to secure complete 
and accurate data from each SEA.) ED seeks OMB approval under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act to collect the elementary and secondary 
education data from state education agencies as described in the five 
sections of Attachment B that document all of the data groups. ED 
encourages the public to review, at a minimum, Attachment C, which 
outlines the changes between what is currently collected and what is 
newly proposed for collection. To the extent that any of these proposed 
new data groups are not available as of the 2013-14 school year, ED 
seeks to know from the SEA data providers if those data will be 
available in future years. If information for a data group is not 
currently available, please provide information beyond the fact that it 
is not available. Are there specific impediments to providing this data 
that you can describe? Is the definition for the data group unclear or 
ambiguous? Do the requested permitted values align with the way your 
state collects the data? This is very important information because the 
collecction of these data is mandatory. ED also seeks to know if the 
SEA data definitions are consistent and compatible with the EDFacts 
definitions and accurately reflect the way data is stored and used for 
education by SEAs. The answers to these quesitons by the data providers 
will influence the timing and content of the final EDFacts proposal for 
the collection of these data. In addition, ED requests that SEAs and 
other stakeholders respond to the directed questions found in 
Attachment D.


[[Page 56635]]


    Dated: September 6, 2012.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-22508 Filed 9-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P