[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 84 (Friday, May 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18872-18873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07675]
[[Page 18872]]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; NSF's
Evaluation of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal
Register, and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed
submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance
simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (703) 292-7556; or send email to
splimpto@nsf.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
1-800-877-8339, which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
days a year (including Federal holidays).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments: Comments regarding (a) whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the NSF, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
use, and clarity of the information on respondents; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology should be addressed to the points
of contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
Copies of the submission may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.
NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control
number, and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such persons are not required to
respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Title of Collection: NSF's Evaluation of the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program.
OMB Control No.: 3145-New.
Abstract: The National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce
Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce) aims to address the critical need
for highly effective elementary and secondary mathematics and science
teachers in high-need school districts. The program supports the
recruitment, preparation, and retention of STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics) undergraduate majors and professionals to
become K-12 STEM teachers, as well as experienced teachers to become
teacher leaders. Noyce offers four program tracks:
1. Scholarships and Stipends: Supports undergraduate STEM majors
and professionals with financial assistance and stipends to become K-12
STEM teachers in high-need school districts. Requires a teaching
commitment of 2 years for each year of scholarship support.
2. Teaching Fellowships: Provides support to STEM professionals to
become K-12 STEM teachers in high-need districts. Requires a 4-year
teaching commitment.
3. Master Teaching Fellowships: Supports experienced K-12 STEM
teachers to become teacher leaders in high-need districts. Requires a
5-year teaching commitment.
4. Noyce Research: Funds research projects focused on the
effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need
districts.
Additionally, the program accepts Capacity Building proposals from
those preparing to submit proposals in any of the program's tracks and
supports conference proposals aimed at improving STEM teacher
preparation. The program also invites proposals for authentic Research
Experiences in STEM Settings (RESS) for both Noyce and non-Noyce pre-
service and in-service STEM teachers.
The NSF Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) Division of
Undergraduate Education (DUE) requires evaluation and technical
services for the Noyce program. Noyce has a 20-year history of
responding to the critical need for highly effective K-12 STEM teachers
in high-need school districts by recruiting and preparing talented
undergraduate STEM majors and STEM professionals to pursue teaching
careers in elementary and secondary schools. Since its inception, the
program has commissioned three program evaluations, the most recent in
2017. In 2023 Noyce sought contractor support to evaluate Noyce
outcomes and processes to determine the effectiveness of program
components in meeting established goals within the last 10 years. SRI
was selected to complete this work.
The evaluation of Noyce focuses on three evaluation questions:
1. What are the goals of Noyce awards and what activities do
teacher preparation programs use to diversify, recruit, select,
prepare, empower, and support Noyce recipients?
2. What are the relationships between the types of support,
activities, and training that Noyce recipients receive; the types of
Noyce recipients; and the recipients' plans to go into and stay in
teaching and leadership roles?
3. What is the impact of Noyce on teacher certification in STEM
fields and employment in high-need schools?
The NSF EDU Directorate requests the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval of this clearance to initiate new data
collections to be conducted as part of an external evaluation of the
Noyce program. These collections, to be conducted by the evaluation
contractor, include:
Qualitative data collection. The qualitative data collection
includes interviews and focus groups that will support the development
of case studies, network analysis. We plan to conduct case studies with
up to 12 Noyce hub grantees. The case studies will include the awardee
institution, its partner organizations, Noyce project staff, project
participants, and partner schools. Our primary method of data
collection will be through interviews with key stakeholders. These
stakeholders will include the Noyce project Principal Investigator
(PI), co-PI(s), program staff, and teachers. This data will also be
used to support Noyce network analysis to understand how Noyce-funded
individuals and organizations are connected and the quality of their
interactions. In addition, we plan to conduct an additional 20
interviews with Noyce principal investigators, scholars, and teachers,
along with 10 focus groups.
[[Page 18873]]
Use of the Information: Noyce anticipates using the results of this
evaluation to:
1. Identify ``Noyce best, emerging, or promising practices'' that
can make the program more effective and efficient to sustain and grow
impacts of Noyce on diversifying, recruiting, selecting, preparing,
empowering, and supporting K-12 STEM teachers.
2. Inform Noyce on sustainability mechanisms and goals appropriate
for Noyce Principal Investigators (PIs) to maintain their successful
outcomes.
3. To understand and disseminate how Noyce is impacting the field.
4. Provide insights into potential barriers PIs face that inhibit
success.
5. Identify strategies Noyce projects can implement to optimize
goal attainment, effectiveness, and efficiencies.
Expected Respondents: Data collection will primarily involve
interviews with key stakeholders including the Noyce project Principal
Investigator (PI), co-PI(s), program staff, and teachers.
Estimate of Burden:
Estimates of Annualized Cost to Respondents for the Hour Burdens:
The overall annualized cost to the respondents is estimated to be
$8,435. The following table shows the estimated burden and costs to
respondents. The estimated hourly rates are based on a report from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wages, May
2023).\1\
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\1\ https://www.bls.gov/oes/.
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Burden hours
Collection title Total number per Total hour Average Estimated
of respondents respondent burden hourly rate annual cost
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Noyce PIs, program staff for 60 1 60 $48.87 $2,932.20
case studies...................
Noyce-funded teachers for case 60 1 60 35.48 2,128.80
studies........................
Noyce PIs, program staff........ 10 1 10 48.87 488.70
Noyce teacher interviews........ 10 1 10 35.48 354.80
Noyce PIs, program staff focus 30 1 30 48.87 1,466.10
groups.........................
Noyce teacher focus groups..... 30 1 30 35.48 1,064.40
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Total....................... 200 .............. 200 .............. 8,435.00
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Estimated Number of Responses per Report: Data collection is
estimated to involve a total number of 200 respondents.
Dated: April 29, 2025.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2025-07675 Filed 5-1-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P