[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 66963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23231]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2020-SCC-0131]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Nominee 
Presentation Form

AGENCY: Office of Communications and Outreach, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 
proposing an extension to an existing information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find 
this particular information collection request by selecting 
``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under Review,'' then 
check ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Andrea Falken, (202) 503-8985.

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: U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon 
Schools Nominee Presentation Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1860-0509.
    Type of Review: An extension to an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 90.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 22.
    Abstract: Begun in 2011-2012, U.S. Department of Education Green 
Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) is a recognition award that honors schools, 
districts, and postsecondary institutions that are making great strides 
in three Pillars: (1) Reducing environmental impact and costs, 
including waste, water, energy use, and transportation; (2) improving 
the health and wellness of students and staff, including environmental 
health of premises, nutrition, and fitness; and (3) providing effective 
sustainability education, including STEM, civic skills, and green 
career pathways.
    The award is a tool to encourage state education agencies, 
stakeholders and higher education officials to consider matters of 
facilities, health and environment comprehensively and in coordination 
with state health, environment and energy counterparts. In order to be 
selected for federal recognition, schools, districts and postsecondary 
institutions must be high achieving in all three of the above Pillars, 
not just one area. Schools, districts, colleges and universities apply 
to their state education authorities. State authorities can submit up 
to six nominees to ED, documenting achievement in all three Pillars. 
This information is used at the Department to select the awardees. ED 
collects information on nominees from state nominating authorities 
regarding their schools, districts, and postsecondary nominees. State 
agencies are provided sample applications for all three types of 
nominees for their use and adaptation. Most states adapt the sample to 
their state competition. There is no one federal application for the 
award, but rather various applications determined by states. They do 
use a required two-page Nominee Submission Form as a cover sheet, which 
ED provides. This document, in school, district, and postsecondary 
submission formats is attached. The burden varies greatly from state 
authority to authority and how they chose to approach the award.
    The recognition award is part of a U.S. Department of Education 
(ED) effort to identify and communicate practices that result in 
improved student engagement, academic achievement, graduation rates, 
and workforce preparedness, and reinforce federal efforts to increase 
energy independence and economic security.
    Encouraging resource efficient schools, districts, and IHEs allows 
administrators to dedicate more resources to instruction rather than 
operational costs. Healthy schools and wellness practices ensure that 
all students learn in an environment conducive to achieving their full 
potential, free of the health disparities that can aggravate 
achievement gaps. Sustainability education helps students engage in 
hands-on learning, hone critical thinking skills, learn many 
disciplines and develop a solid foundation in STEM subjects. It 
motivates postsecondary students in many disciplines, and especially 
those underserved in STEM subjects, to persist and graduate with sought 
after degrees and robust civic skills.
    So that the Administration can receive states' nominations, ED 
seeks to provide the Nominee Presentation Form to states--essentially a 
cover sheet for states' evaluation of their nominees to ED--in three 
versions; one for school nominees, another for district nominees, and a 
third form for postsecondary nominees.

    Dated: October 15, 2020.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-23231 Filed 10-20-20; 8:45 am]
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