[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 153 (Thursday, August 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64898-64899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17624]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0075]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Middle School 
Toolkit 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 
September 9, 2024.

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

[[Page 64899]]

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: Providing Reading Interventions for Students 
in Middle School Toolkit Evaluation.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: New ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,647.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 851.
    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.
    Grades 6-8 mark an extended and crucial period in which students 
are expected to master increasingly complex literacy skills (Biancarosa 
& Snow, 2006; Hagaman et al., 2016). By the middle school grades, 
reading instruction typically shifts from a focus on fundamental 
literacy skills, such as decoding and phonemic awareness, to genre-
specific textual conventions, comprehension strategies, and learning 
curricular content from texts (Chall, 1983; Goldman & Snow, 2015). For 
students without the fundamental skills to read fluently, decode 
accurately, and comprehend text, the more advanced literacy practices 
needed for secondary content acquisition and text reading can be out of 
reach. Students who struggle with reading at the middle school level 
often have limited ability to access curricular content aligned to 
grade-level standards in English language arts and other subject areas 
(Torgesen et al., 2007) and may experience adverse educational outcomes 
with respect to attendance (Fisher & Frey, 2014), graduation rates 
(Daniel et al., 2006), and mental health (Daniel et al., 2006; Mugnaini 
et al., 2009).
    The purpose of this evaluation is to test the efficacy of the 
Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Middle School Toolkit, 
or the PRISMS Toolkit. This toolkit supports the application of 
evidence-based recommendations from the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9 Educator's 
Practice Guide (hereafter, practice guide; Vaughn et al., 2022) through 
a suite of professional development activities. We anticipate that the 
toolkit will impact teacher knowledge, self-efficacy, and instructional 
practice. These changes in teacher knowledge, beliefs, and practice, in 
turn, will positively impact student outcomes, including student 
engagement, as measured by student engagement in reading and school 
attendance, and reading proficiency.
    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' 
engagement and literacy outcomes. The evaluation will also assess the 
implementation of the toolkit and how it may be effectively scaled. The 
evaluation will take place in 52 schools across an estimated 10 
districts in Texas and will focus on teachers and students in grade 6-
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 reading interventions that could be 
beneficial for all students in grade 6-8, but particularly those who 
are reading below grade level expectations.

    Dated: August 5, 2024.
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. 2024-17624 Filed 8-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P