[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 145 (Monday, July 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49456-49457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16177]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0069]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; REL Pacific Efficacy and Implementation Evaluation of the 
Secondary Writing Toolkit

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).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
August 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice. Click on this link www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain to access the site. Find this information collection request 
(ICR) by selecting ``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under 
Review,'' then check the ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox. 
Reginfo.gov provides two links to view documents related to this 
information collection request. Information collection forms and 
instructions may be found by clicking on the ``View Information 
Collection (IC) List'' link. Supporting statements and other supporting 
documentation may be found by clicking on the ``View Supporting 
Statement and Other Documents'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Anousheh Shayestehpour, 202-987-
1148.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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: REL Pacific Efficacy and Implementation 
Evaluation of the Secondary Writing Toolkit.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households.Total 
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,705.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 416.
    Abstract: The current authorization for the Regional Educational 
Laboratories (REL) program is under the Education Sciences Reform Act 
of 2002, part D, section 174, (20 U.S.C. 9564), administered by the 
Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES), 
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance 
(NCEE). The central mission and primary function of the RELs is to 
support applied research and provide technical assistance to state and 
local education agencies within their region (ESRA, part D, section 
174[f]). The REL program's goal is to partner with educators and 
policymakers to conduct work that is change-oriented and supports 
meaningful local, regional, or state decisions about education 
policies, programs, and practices to improve outcomes for students.
    Literacy, including writing, is closely tied to student success 
throughout K-12 education, which impacts high school graduation 
(National Institute for Literacy, 2008; NCES, 2020) and ultimately, 
income beyond graduation (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Despite 
the importance of writing to life and learning, teachers report that 
the training they receive on teaching writing, both prior to entering 
the field

[[Page 49457]]

and while teaching, is minimal or insufficient (Graham, 2019). To 
address this problem, the REL PA toolkit development team is developing 
a Secondary Writing Toolkit to support teachers in implementing Hawai`i 
evidence-based instructional strategies to improve writing among 
students in grades 6-8. The toolkit is based on the Teaching Secondary 
Students to Write Effectively WWC Practice Guide and is being developed 
in collaboration with district and school partners in Hawai`i.
    REL Pacific will design the Toolkit to help teachers improve their 
writing instruction so that students in Hawai`i become stronger, more 
effective writers. The Toolkit uses Professional Learning Communities 
(PLCs) facilitated by one of the teachers in the school (peer 
facilitator) to help teachers learn new instructional skills. Teachers 
also have access to instructional resources as part of the Toolkit to 
support their use of evidence-based strategies in their classrooms.
    This study is designed to measure the efficacy and implementation 
of the REL Pacific-developed toolkit designed to improve writing among 
students in grades 6-8. The toolkit evaluation team plans to conduct an 
independent evaluation using a school-level, cluster randomized 
controlled trial design to assess the efficacy of the school-based 
professional learning resources included in the toolkit. The evaluation 
will also assess how teachers and facilitators implement the toolkit to 
provide context for the efficacy findings and guidance to improve the 
toolkit and its future use. The evaluation will take place in 40 
schools in Hawai`i and focus on all students in grades 6-8. The toolkit 
evaluation will produce a report for district and school leaders who 
are considering strategies to improve writing among secondary students. 
The report will provide guidance on using the Toolkit professional 
development and resources to help teachers implement the Practice Guide 
(PG) recommendations.

    Dated: July 26, 2023.
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. 2023-16177 Filed 7-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P