[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 172 (Thursday, September 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55014-55015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19470]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Infant and Toddler 
Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) Study (New Collection)

AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration 
for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: This is a primary data collection request for the Infant and 
Toddler Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) study to examine, 
using qualitative case studies, different approaches to implementing 
competency frameworks and assessing competencies of teachers and 
caregivers of infants and toddlers who work in group early care and 
education (ECE) settings (centers and family child care homes). Each 
case study will focus on a specific competency framework used by 
states, institutions of higher education, professional organizations, 
or ECE programs. This study aims to present an internally valid 
description of the implementation of competency frameworks and 
assessment of competencies for up to seven purposively selected cases, 
not to promote statistical generalization to different sites or service 
populations.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. 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.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing 
[email protected]. Alternatively, copies can also be 
obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20201, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. All 
requests, emailed or written, should be identified by the title of the 
information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: The ITTCC study will examine implementation and 
assessment of competency frameworks at (1) the system level (that is, 
among those charged with creating a structure for and supporting 
implementation in states, institutions of higher education, and/or 
professional organizations); and (2) the program level (that is, in the 
center-based settings and family child care homes in which infant/
toddler teachers and caregivers work). We will collect information on 
how competency frameworks have been developed and implemented; how 
competencies are assessed; how program directors, center directors, 
family child care providers, and teachers and caregivers use competency 
frameworks; key lessons related to implementing competency frameworks 
and assessing competencies; and perspectives on how competencies can 
help build the capacity of the workforce teaching and caring for 
infants and toddlers and support quality improvement.
    Respondents: System-level staff (this may include lead developers, 
lead adopters, administrators for state/local quality improvement 
initiatives, administrators of licensing and/or credentialing agencies, 
higher education stakeholders, other training and technical assistance 
providers, state-level oversight of federal programs) and program-level 
staff (program and/or center directors, professional development 
coordinators/managers, center-based teachers/caregivers and family 
child care providers).

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                  Number of        Number of
                                 respondents     responses per      Avg. burden
          Instrument             (total over       respondent      per response    Total burden    Annual burden
                                   request        (total over       (in hours)      (in hours)      (in hours)
                                   period)      request  period)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
System-Level Screening                     30                  1              .6              18               9
 Protocol (Instrument 1).....
System-Level Master                        60                  1             1.5              90              45
 Semistructured Interview
 Protocol (Instrument 2).....

[[Page 55015]]

 
Nominations for Programs                   15                  1              .3             4.5            2.25
 Protocol (Instrument 3).....
Program-Level Screening                    70                  1              .6              42              21
 Protocol (Instrument 4).....
Program-Level Master                       20                  1               1              20              10
 Semistructured Interview
 Protocol (Instrument 5):
 Directors...................
Program-Level Master                       20                  1               1              20              10
 Semistructured Interview
 Protocol (Instrument 5):
 Family child care providers.
Program-Level Master                       20                  1             0.5              10               5
 Semistructured Interview
 Protocol (Instrument 5):
 Center-based teachers.......
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 102.25.
    Comments: 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.

    Authority:  Head Start Act Section 640 [42 U.S.C. 9835] and 
Section 649 [42 U.S.C. 9844], and the Child Care and Development 
Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended by the CCDBG Act of 2014 
(Pub. L. 113-186).

John M. Sweet Jr.,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-19470 Filed 9-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-22-P