[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 176 (Wednesday, September 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 73637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20437]



[[Page 73637]]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0110]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest: Teacher Preparation Program 
Completion: What Factors Play a Role?

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 
November 12, 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-0110. 
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 4C210, 
Washington, DC 20202-1200.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Christopher Boccanfuso, (202) 
219-0373.

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 Midwest: 
Teacher Preparation Program Completion: What Factors Play a Role?
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: New ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 421.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 220.
    Abstract: The U.S. Department of Education seeks clearance for the 
recruitment and data collection protocols for the REL Midwest research 
study, Teacher Preparation Program Completion: What Factors Play a 
Role? The study, scheduled for the 2024/25 school year, will focus on 
understanding factors influencing the completion of traditional 
undergraduate teacher preparation programs. This is crucial as 
traditional teacher preparation programs are the main sources of new 
teachers, yet the number of bachelor's degrees in education has 
declined by 18 percent between 2010 and 2020.
    This study aims to address two main research questions: (1) How do 
the demographic and academic characteristics of students in traditional 
undergraduate teacher preparation programs differ between completers 
and noncompleters? and (2) How do personal and contextual factors 
relate to students' completion of traditional teacher preparation 
programs?
    The study will collect quantitative survey data and qualitative 
interview data from students who completed and did not complete 
traditional undergraduate teacher preparation programs, supplemented by 
administrative data from teacher preparation programs. This approach 
will allow the study to gather information on personal and contextual 
factors not captured in administrative data, such as the ability to 
complete unpaid student teaching, perceptions of the teaching 
profession, and other intrinsic motivations and external conditions 
that influence completion.
    The urgency to improve teacher candidate retention and graduation 
rates is driven by long-standing teacher shortages and a desire to 
increase racial/ethnic and gender diversity in the teacher workforce to 
mirror the composition of K-12 students in the United States. Findings 
from this study aim to inform program and policy-level solutions to 
support teaching candidates, particularly those from diverse 
backgrounds, ensuring they persist through their teacher preparation 
programs.

    Dated: September 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. 2024-20437 Filed 9-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P