[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 207 (Friday, October 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73831-73832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23692]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0185]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest Write To Succeed 
Evaluation

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 26, 2023.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use https://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2023-SCC-0185. 
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 Christopher Boccanfuso, 202-453-
7383.

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: Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) 
Southwest Write to Succeed Evaluation.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,453.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 366.
    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.
    Supporting equitable educational opportunities and achievement for 
English learner students in New Mexico is a high priority for the New 
Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED, n.d., 2021). In light of 
analysis showing English learner students in the state have lower rates 
of English language arts (ELA) proficiency (Arellano et al., 2018), 
plus legal rulings in the state that English learner students' rights 
to a sufficient public education have been violated (NMPED, 2022a), 
NMPED created a strategic plan that includes supporting the whole child 
through literacy instruction that is culturally and linguistically 
responsive (NMPED, 2022b). Improving English learner students' English 
proficiency and the literacy skills of all students is a top priority 
of NMPED and the district and regional partners of REL Southwest. To 
address this problem, REL Southwest is implementing, refining, and 
building evidence for the Write to Succeed professional learning 
program. The core focus of the Write to Succeed program is scaffolded 
writing instruction that can support all students but with embedded 
opportunities to meet the language needs to English learner students. 
Prior to this study, the program will be further enhanced with supports 
for teacher collaboration and culturally and linguistically relevant 
instructional routines, as prior work with New Mexico partners has 
indicated these are two elements in need of further support.
    This study is designed to measure the efficacy and implementation 
of the Write to Succeed. The evaluation team plans to conduct an 
independent evaluation using a school-level, cluster randomized control 
trial design to assess the program's impact on teachers' practices and 
beliefs and students' language and literacy outcomes. The evaluation 
will also assess the implementation of the program and how it may be 
effectively scaled. The evaluation will take place in 40 schools across 
an estimated 10 districts in New Mexico and will focus on teachers and 
students in grades 4-8. The evaluation will produce a report and 
presentations to study participants, practitioners, policymakers, and 
researchers, and infographics and blog posts for a wider audience of 
educators and policymakers. These will be designed to inform district 
and school leaders and teachers about scaffolded writing practices that 
could be beneficial for English learner students and all students.


[[Page 73832]]


    Dated: October 23, 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. 2023-23692 Filed 10-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P