[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 110 (Thursday, June 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37521-37522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12265]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0097]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Efficacy Evaluation of the Mathematics Intervention Toolkit for the 
Elementary Grades

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Department is proposing a new information collection request (ICR).

[[Page 37522]]


DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
August 7, 2023.

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-2023-SCC-0097. 
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, the Department 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 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 Manager of the Strategic 
Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W203, 
Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Janelle Sands, 202-245-6786.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department, 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. The Department is soliciting comments on the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 
The Department 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: Efficacy Evaluation of the Mathematics 
Intervention Toolkit for the Elementary Grades.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 9,630.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 3,106.
    Abstract: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) requests OMB 
clearance for data collection related to the Regional Educational 
Laboratory (REL) program. ED, in consultation with REL Northeast and 
the Islands (REL-NEI) under contract 91990022C0013 has planned a study 
of the efficacy of a professional development (PD) course for fourth 
and fifth grade math intervention teachers in the state of 
Massachusetts. Researchers at WestEd will carry out a school-level 
randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of the PD 
course and investigate how and whether the PD course is helping 
teachers improve their practices and boost student learning. OMB 
approval is being requested for REL-NEI's data collection for this 
project, including pre and post measures of student skills and 
attitudes, and teacher knowledge, beliefs, and feedback regarding 
instructional practice and implementation of the PD course.
    Elementary math achievement is a topic of national concern. 
Students who leave elementary school with a strong foundation in 
mathematics, particularly fractions, are better prepared to succeed in 
middle school mathematics and algebra. Algebra is a well-documented 
gatekeeper to advanced high school math coursework, which is 
consistently linked to increased post-secondary opportunities and 
earnings. On the 2019 NAEP report card, only 41% of grade 4 students 
scored Proficient or above in math, and these numbers are lower for 
students from marginalized backgrounds. These opportunity gaps persist 
at the secondary level, so need to be addressed as soon as they appear.
    Given this need, district leaders in Massachusetts are seeking ways 
to bolster learning for students who struggle with mathematics. Some of 
these approaches adopted by districts target core instruction, but 
districts are also interested in strengthening their approaches to 
intervention. Together with the Massachusetts Partnership to Support 
Student Learning Through Math Intervention, REL-NEI is designing a 
toolkit PD course to build educators' knowledge of and ability to 
implement the recommendations of a new What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
Practice Guide, Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: 
Intervention in the Elementary Grades. By using the PD course's 
extensive resources, districts will be able to provide teachers with 
in-depth PD on the recommendations and how to implement them by using 
specific instructional practices. Teachers will learn to use these 
practices effectively, helping them to optimize intervention time to 
improve student learning. Their students will be actively engaged in 
doing math, communicating their ideas, and progressing toward clear 
learning goals with feedback and support.

    Dated: June 5, 2023.
Juliana Pearson,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-12265 Filed 6-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P