[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 215 (Thursday, November 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70596-70597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24608]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2020-SCC-0170]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Evaluating the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program After the 2017 
Reauthorization

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education 
(ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 
proposing a new information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 4, 2021.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2020-SCC-0170. 
Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal 
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov 
site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily 
accept comments at [email protected]. Please include the docket ID 
number and the title of the information collection request when 
requesting documents or submitting comments. 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 PRA 
Coordinator of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, 
LBJ, Room 6W208B, Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Meredith Bachman, 202-245-7494.

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: Evaluating the DC Opportunity Scholarship 
Program After the 2017 Reauthorization.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.

[[Page 70597]]

    Type of Review: New Information Collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Private Sector; State, Local, and 
Tribal Governments; Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 856.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 331.
    Abstract: The U.S. Department of Education (ED)'s Institute of 
Education Sciences (IES) requests clearance for data collection 
activities to support a congressionally mandated study of the District 
of Columbia (DC) Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). Collecting 
information about the OSP is critical given ED's interest in private 
school choice as a way to improve students' educational outcomes and 
Congress's focus on the program. Proposed legislation supports both 
expanding the OSP to serve more students in DC and new tax credits that 
would make up to $5 billion available to fund similar programs 
nationwide. The importance of the OSP to Congress is reflected in its 
requirement that IES conduct a third evaluation of the program, 
following those completed in 2011 and 2019. The study will result in a 
report on the implementation of the OSP, including identification of 
challenges encountered by OSP-eligible applicants, participating 
schools, and the program operator; and potential program or policy 
changes to help address these challenges. A subsequent issue brief will 
focus on challenges related to families' ongoing participation in the 
OSP, since about 20% of students stop using scholarships after one year 
of participation. The study will also use the collected data to 
disseminate up to three issue policy briefs. This request covers 
administrative data as well as surveys of the OSP program operator, 
administrators of participating and non-participating OSP schools, OSP 
applicants, and OSP users. Also included is a request for classroom 
observations in OSP-participating schools.

    Dated: November 2, 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. 2020-24608 Filed 11-4-20; 8:45 am]
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