[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 35038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13716]



[[Page 35038]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Evaluation of the Head Start Designation Renewal System.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: In the fall of 2011, the Administration for Children 
and Families (ACF) within the US Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) significantly expanded its accountability provisions 
with the implementation of the Head Start Designation Renewal System 
(DRS). The DRS is designed to identify which Head Start and Early Head 
Start grantees are providing high quality, comprehensive services to 
the children and families in their communities. Where they are not, 
grantees are denied automatic renewal of their grant and must apply for 
continuing funding through an open competition process. Determinations 
are based on seven conditions designed to measure service quality, 
program operational quality, and fiscal and internal integrity.
    The ACF is proposing to conduct an evaluation of the DRS. The 
purpose of the evaluation is to understand if the DRS is working as 
intended, as a valid, reliable, and transparent method for identifying 
high-quality programs that can receive continuing five-year grants 
without competition and as a system that encourages overall program 
quality improvement. It also seeks to understand how the system is 
working, the circumstances in which it works more or less well, and the 
contextual, demographic, and program factors and program actions 
associated with how well the system is working. The study will employ a 
mixed-methods design that integrates and layers administrative and 
secondary data sources, observational measures, and interviews to 
develop a rich knowledge base about what the DRS accomplishes and how 
it does so.
    Respondents: Head Start program directors; other program managers 
including grantee agency directors, center directors, and education 
services coordinators; Head Start teachers; and members of Head Start 
governing bodies and local policy councils.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                     Number of    Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    responses per     hours per     Total burden    Annual burden
                                  of respondents    respondent       response          hours           hours
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Quality Measures Follow Up                   830               1            0.4              332             166
 Interview: Teachers............
Quality Measures Follow Up                   350               1            1.5              525             263
 Interview: Center Directors....
Quality Measures Follow Up                    70               1            1.1               77              39
 Interview: Program Directors...
DRS Telephone Interview: Program              35               1            1.25              44              22
 Directors......................
DRS In-Depth Interview: Agency                15               1            1                 15               8
 Directors......................
DRS In-Depth Interview: Program               15               1            1.5               23              12
 Directors......................
DRS In-Depth Interview: Policy                75               1            1.5              113              57
 Council/Governing Body.........
DRS In-Depth Program Managers...              45               1            1.5               68              34
Competition In-Depth Interview:               18               1            1.25              23              12
 Agency and Program Directors...
Competition In-Depth Interview:               45               1            1.5               68              34
 Policy Council/Governing Body..
Competition In-Depth Interview:               27               1            1.5               41              21
 Program Managers...............
Competition Data Capture Sheet..             500               1            0.15              75              38
    Estimated Total Annual        ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............             706
     Burden Hours...............
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    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed 
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded 
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 
Washington, DC 20447, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. Email 
address: [email protected]. All requests should be 
identified by the title of the information collection.
    The Department specifically requests comments on (a) whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

Steven M. Hanmer,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-13716 Filed 6-10-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-22-P