Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Indian Education Professional Development Grants Program: GPRA and Service Payback Data Collection

AGENCY:

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 4, 2016.

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-2016-ICCD-0012. 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. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those 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 Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room 2E-115, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact John Cheek, 202-401-0274.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), 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. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 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. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Indian Education Professional Development Grants Program: GPRA and Service Payback Data Collection.

OMB Control Number: 1810-0698.

Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,412.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,728.

Abstract: “Indian Education—Individual Reporting on Regulatory Compliance Related to the Indian Education Professional Development Program's Service Obligation and the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA).”

The Indian Education Professional Development program, authorized under title VII, part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), is designed to increase the number of, provide training to, and improve the skills of American Indian or Alaska Natives serving as teachers and school administrators in schools serving American Indian or Alaska Native students.

Section 7122(h) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7442(h)) requires that individuals who receive financial assistance through the Indian Education Professional Development program subsequently complete a service obligation equivalent to the amount of time for which the participant received financial assistance. Participants who do not satisfy the requirements of the regulations must repay all or a pro-rated part of the cost of assistance, in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 7442(h) and 34 CFR 263.8(a)(3). The regulations in part 263 implement requirements governing, among other things, the service obligation and reporting requirements of the participants in the Indian Education Professional Development program, and repayment of financial assistance by these participants. In order for the Federal Government to ensure that the goals of the program are achieved, certain data collection, recordkeeping, and documentation are necessary.

In addition, GPRA requires Federal agencies to establish performance measures for all programs, and the Department has established performance measures for the Indian Education Professional Development program. Data collection from participants who have received financial assistance under the Indian Education Professional Development program is a necessary element of the Department's effort to evaluate progress on these measures.

The Department tracks participants who are receiving or have previously received support through the Indian Education Professional Development program. Participants must sign a payback agreement that includes contact information. Additionally, the Department receives information about participants from institutions of higher education (IHEs) and other eligible grantees when participants are no longer receiving assistance through the Indian Education Professional Development program. When the performance period is complete, the participant data are collected from the grantee and also from the participants.