[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 202 (Friday, October 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72445-72446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23152]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0183]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Evaluation of a Toolkit To Support Evidence-Based Writing Instruction 
in Grades 2 Through 4

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 
December 19, 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-0183. 
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 Heidi Gansen, (202) 245-6765.

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: Evaluation of A Toolkit to Support Evidence-
Based Writing Instruction in Grades 2 Through 4.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: New ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 4,176.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,234.
    Abstract: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. 
Department of Education (ED) requests clearance for data collection 
activities to support an evaluation of A Toolkit to Support Evidence-
Based Writing Instruction in Grades 2 Through 4. Specifically, this 
request covers collection of data to conduct an evaluation to assess 
whether implementing the writing toolkit (1) improves teachers' 
attitudes towards writing and helps them align their writing 
instruction with the evidence-based recommendations in the What Works 
Clearinghouse (WWC) Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective 
Writers practice guide and (2) improves students' writing quality and 
reading achievement. This randomized controlled trial study will 
compare teacher and student outcomes in schools that implement the 
writing toolkit (the treatment group) with the teacher and student 
outcomes in schools that continue to provide their usual professional 
development supports (the comparison group).
    There is a great need for professional learning supports in 
elementary writing instruction to address low reading and writing 
proficiency across the country. Teacher preparation programs rarely 
offer stand-alone writing instruction (Myers et al. 2016; Morgan 2010; 
Brenner 2013), and surveys show many teachers and teacher educators do 
not feel confident in writing instruction (Myers et al. 2016; Cutler 
and Graham 2008). An accessible package of professional learning 
materials designed to help educators translate evidence-based 
recommendations for elementary writing instruction into daily 
instruction could be a game-changer for improving teacher practice and 
student writing.
    The elementary writing toolkit aims to offer such an accessible, 
evidence-based professional learning package by drawing on the WWC 
Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers practice 
guide. The practice guide helps to fill the professional development 
gaps for elementary writing instruction by providing clear, actionable 
recommendations along with specific implementation steps and examples. 
The toolkit will build on the practice guide to (1) make the 
recommendations and implementation guidance accessible and engaging for 
busy educators, (2) create a structure for learning and applying 
practices throughout a school year, (3) promote collaborative learning 
and planning among teachers, and (4) offer tools for sustaining 
practices over time. The toolkit will be a one-stop shop that enables 
schools and educators to access all supports in one place, complemented 
by diagnostic tools to assess practices and resources for school 
leaders to institutionalize practices over time. Incorporating 
multimedia resources that are easy to navigate will make the toolkit 
more inviting and will facilitate the reinforcement of concepts that 
are difficult to learn through text alone.
    To provide context for the impact findings and inform further 
development of the toolkit, the evaluation will examine teachers' 
experiences and engagement in toolkit activities, the learning modules 
completed, challenges encountered and suggested solutions, feedback on 
areas to improve the toolkit and institutional supports, and the extent 
to which the professional development in writing

[[Page 72446]]

instruction received by teachers differs between treatment and control 
schools. Obtaining feedback on improving the toolkit, regardless of 
whether the impact findings are positive, is critical to ensure that 
the toolkit is as useful as possible to districts, schools, and 
teachers when they implement the evidence-based practices.

    Dated: October 17, 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. 2023-23152 Filed 10-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P