[Federal Register: January 15, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 10)]
[Notices]               
[Page 2370]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ja98-35]


[[Page 2370]]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests.

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

DATES: An emergency review has been requested in accordance with the 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 3507 (j)), since public harm is reasonably 
likely to result if normal clearance procedures are followed. Approval 
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been requested by 
February 9, 1998. A regular clearance process is also beginning. 
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before March 
16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be 
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Dan Chenok, Desk Officer: Department of Education, Office of 
Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503. Requests for copies of the 
proposed information collection request should be addressed to Patrick 
J. Sherrill, Department of Education, 7th & D Streets, S.W., Room 5624, 
Regional Office Building 3, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. Written 
comments regarding the regular clearance and requests for copies of the 
proposed information collection requests should be addressed to Patrick 
J. Sherrill, Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Room 5624, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651, or 
should be electronic mailed to the internet address #FIRB@ed.gov, or 
should be faxed to 202-708-9346.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Sherrill (202) 708-8196. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 3506 (c)(2)(A) requires that 
the Director of OMB provide interested Federal agencies and the public 
an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The 
Office of Management and Budget (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 Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, publishes this notice containing proposed 
information collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental 
review of the information collection. 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. ED invites public comment at the address 
specified above. Copies of the requests are available from Patrick J. 
Sherrill at the address specified above.
    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: January 9, 1998.
Gloria Parker,
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program.
    Abstract: This application will be used by the State Education 
Agencies (SEAs) to obtain funds to provide competitive grants to local 
education agencies to assist local Title I and some non-Title I schools 
to adopt research-based comprehensive school reform models. The 
information will be used to review and to approve SEA applications to 
participate in the program.
    Additional Information: An emergency request for this collection is 
two-fold. First, any delay in requesting applications from State 
Education Agencies (SEAs) beyond February 1998 will mean that the 
demonstration of comprehensive school reform models to be funded under 
this legislation will not be able to begin until the school year 
starting in 1999. Thus, the Department will not be able to fulfill the 
intent of Congress that these comprehensive innovations begin in the 
1998 school year and provide evidence in succeeding years that can have 
a positive influence on the reauthorization of Title I itself. Second, 
this program was developed in the Congress at the end of the 1998 
budget process. It was unclear until the final conference on the 
Department's budget if this program would actually become law. Thus, 
the Department could not develop materials that could go through the 
public comment process in a way that avoids the need for this emergency 
clearance approach. Therefore, ED is requesting approval by February 9, 
1998 in order for the State competitive grant programs to be 
implemented in time for schools to establish working relationships with 
the providers of comprehensive school reform models in September 1998.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits; Not-for-profit 
institutions; State, local or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: Responses: 56. Burden 
Hours: 2,240.

[FR Doc. 98-995 Filed 1-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P