[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 5520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01628]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0016]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; High 
School Equivalency Program (HEP) Annual Performance Report

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), 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 revision of a currently approved 
information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
March 29, 2024.

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-2024-SCC-0016. 
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 Katrina Ballard, (202) 987-0702.

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: High School Equivalency Program (HEP) Annual 
Performance Report.
    OMB Control Number: 1810-0684.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 54.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,242.
    Abstract: This is a request for a revision of the 1810-0684 High 
School Equivalency Program (HEP) Annual Performance Report collection. 
These revisions include language replacements, removals, and additions 
that are intended to ensure compliance with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.110 and OMB 
Circular A-110, improve the clarity of instructions and data 
collection, and remove duplicative language. Substantive changes 
include the addition of a data element related to mode of instruction. 
For a complete list of revisions, please see the attached summary, 
which will be shared with the public and OMB as a supplemental 
document. The Office of Migrant Education (OME) is collecting 
information for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) which is 
authorized under Title IV, Section 418A of the Higher Education Act of 
1965, as amended by Section 408 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act 
(HEOA)(20 U.S.C. 1070d-2) (special programs for students whose families 
are engaged in migrant and seasonal farm work) and 2 CFR 200.328 which 
requires that recipients of discretionary grants submit an Annual 
Performance Report (APR) to best inform improvements in program 
outcomes and productivity.
    Although the Education Department continues to use the generic 
524B, OME is requesting to continue the use of a customized APR that 
goes beyond the generic 524B APR to facilitate the collection of more 
standardized and comprehensive data to inform performance indicators, 
to improve the overall quality of data collected, and to increase the 
quality of data that can be used to inform policy decisions.
    Although the Education Department continues to use the generic 
524B, OME is requesting to continue the use of a customized APR that 
goes beyond the generic 524B APR to facilitate the collection of more 
standardized and comprehensive data to inform Government Performance 
Results Act (GPRA) indicators, to improve the overall quality of data 
collected, and to increase the quality of data that can be used to 
inform policy decisions.

    Dated: January 23, 2024.
Kun Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2024-01628 Filed 1-26-24; 8:45 am]
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