[Federal Register: April 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 80)]
[Notices]               
[Page 22491]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ap04-51]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory Information Management Group, Office of 
the Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed 
information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 25, 2004.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an 
early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB 
may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the 
extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat 
the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal 
law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform 
its statutory obligations. The Leader, Regulatory Information 
Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes 
that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior 
to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information 
collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of 
review requested, e.g., new, revision, extension, existing or 
reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) 
Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) 
Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or 
Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment. The Department of 
Education 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.

    Dated: April 20, 2004.
Angela C. Arrington,
Leader, Regulatory Information Management Group, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.

Institute of Education Sciences

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Early Reading First (ERF) National Evaluation.
    Frequency: On Occasion; one time--consent forms.
    Affected Public: Individuals or household; Businesses or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit institutions.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
    Responses: 5,685.
    Burden Hours: 2,256.
    Abstract: The proposed data collection is necessary to complete the 
national evaluation of Early Reading First. The ERF national evaluation 
will use a regression discontinuity design, including a baseline and 
two follow-up assessment points, to determine the extent to which the 
additional funds and technical assistance given to ERF grantees change 
the instructional content and children's outcomes compared to the 
content and outcomes in the absence of ERF. The evaluation will also 
explore the extent to which variations in program quality and 
implementation are associated with differences in participant outcomes. 
The respondents for this research initiative include children, parents, 
teachers and preschool directors. The evaluation results will be used 
by policymakers to document ERF's effectiveness, understand best 
practices, and inform decisions about expansion.
    Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request 
may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ``Browse 

Pending Collections'' link and by clicking on link number 2531. When 
you access the information collection, click on ``Download 
Attachments'' to view. Written requests for information should be 
addressed to Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac 
Center South, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202-4700. Requests may also 
be electronically mailed to the Internet address OCIO_RIMG@ed.gov or 
faxed to 202-245-6623. Please specify the complete title of the 
information collection when making your request.
    Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements should be directed to Kathy Axt at 540-776-7742. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[FR Doc. 04-9362 Filed 4-23-04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P