[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54636-54637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21510]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No. ED-2013-ICCD-0085]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge Annual Performance 
Report

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), ED.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (44 
U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 7, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in response to this notice should be 
submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ED-2013-ICCD-
0085 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please 
note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after 
the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for 
information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be 
addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance 
Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, 
Room 2E115, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions related To collection 
activities or burden, please call Tomakie Washington, 202-401-1097 or 
electronically mail [email protected]. Please do not send comments 
here.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with 
an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact 
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 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--Early Learning Challenge 
Annual Performance Report.
    OMB Control Number: 1810-NEW.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 21.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,520.
    Abstract: The Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge program is 
authorized by Sections 14005 and 14006, Division A, of the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as amended by section 1832(b) of 
Division B of Public Law 112-10, the Department of Defense and Full-
Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, and the Department of 
Education Appropriations Act, 2012 (Title III of Division F of Pub. L. 
112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012). This program is 
jointly managed by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the Race to the 
Top--Early Learning Challenge program is to focus on improving early 
learning and development programs for young children by supporting 
States' efforts to: (1) increase the number and percentage of low-
income and disadvantaged children in each age group of infants, 
toddlers, and preschoolers who are enrolled in high-quality early 
learning programs; (2) design and implement an integrated system of 
high-quality early learning programs and services; and (3) ensure that 
any use of assessments conforms with the recommendations of the 
National Research Council's reports on early childhood. Five key 
program reform areas representing the foundation of an effective early 
learning and development reform agenda focused on school readiness and 
ongoing educational success. These five key reform areas are: (A) 
successful State Systems; (B) High-Quality, Accountable Programs; (C) 
Promoting Early Learning and Development Outcomes for Children; (D) A 
Great Early Childhood Education Workforce; and (E) Measuring

[[Page 54637]]

Outcomes and Progress. The first two reform areas, (A) and (B) are 
``Core Areas of Focus'' for this program and all applicants addressed 
selection criteria based on these core areas. Reform areas (C), (D), 
and (E) are ``Focused Investment Areas'' where State's choose which 
specific areas to target based on their State's early childhood reform 
areas and policies. Research demonstrates that high-quality early 
learning and development programs and services can improve young 
children's health, social-emotional, and cognitive outcomes; enhance 
school readiness; and help close the school readiness gap that exists 
between children with High Needs and their more abled peers at the time 
they enter kindergarten. The Annual Performance Report for this program 
will collect data on the performance measures and the selection 
criteria described in the application (note OMB approval in 2011). 
Program staff has reviewed this report carefully to minimize burden. 
The APR will be collected electronically which will enable program 
staff to pre-populate information on baseline data, approved 
performance targets, and approved annual budgets. This report will be 
used to provide necessary information to program staff and to the 
public on the implementation of these grants.

    Dated: August 29, 2013.
Tomakie Washington,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-21510 Filed 9-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P