Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program: Annual Performance Report

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a reinstatement of a previously approved information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 1, 2019.

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-2019-ICCD-0008. 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, ED will temporarily accept comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. 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 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, 550 12th Street SW, PCP, Room 9086, Washington, DC 20202-0023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Bryan Keohane, 202-260-9738.

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: Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program: Annual Performance Report.

OMB Control Number: 1810-0669.

Type of Review: A reinstatement of a previously approved information collection.

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

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 450.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 4,500.

Abstract: Implemented under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title II, Part B, the Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) program is a formula grant program strategically designed to improve the content knowledge of teachers and the academic performance of students in mathematics and science. By funding collaborative partnerships between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments at institutions of higher education (IHEs), and high-need school districts, the MSP program enables the delivery of intensive, content-rich professional development intended to improve classroom instruction and, ultimately, to raise student achievement in math and science. Because MSP is a formula grant program, the size of individual state awards is based on student population and poverty rates, with no state receiving less than one half of one percent of the total appropriation. Each state is then responsible for administering a competitive grant making process to determine the distribution of funds across proposed MSP projects. The program office is seeking to renew this collection to allow it to continue to collect Annual Performance Reports from those grantees that will need to seek a no cost extension.