Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records-Impact Evaluation of Academic Instruction for After-School Programs, 35656-35659 [05-12226]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
35656
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
timely continuation grants to the 16
entities affected, the Secretary has
determined that a delayed effective date
is unnecessary and contrary to the
public interest.
Background
NIDRR supports the goals of the
President’s New Freedom Initiative
(NFI) and the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Long-Range Plan (Plan), which are
designed to help improve rehabilitation
research and outcomes for individuals
with disabilities.
Note: The NFI can be accessed on the
Internet at the following site: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom.
The Plan can be accessed on the Internet
at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/
rschstat/research/pubs/.
In accordance with the goals of the
NFI and the Plan, and as authorized
under section 204(a)(1) of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
through NIDRR, the Department
provides funding for projects to improve
research and outcomes for individuals
with disabilities. The Conference Report
accompanying the 2005 Appropriations
Act noted that NIDRR received
additional funding for the SCIMS
program and stated that the conferees
intended that the additional funds
should be used to support investments
that could facilitate multi-center
research on therapies, interventions,
and the use of technology. NIDRR is
conducting background work to inform
the competition and plans to defer new
awards, formerly scheduled for 2005,
until 2006 in order to use the
background information to guide
development of competition priorities,
allow applicants sufficient time to
prepare proposals, and place all SCIMS
grants on the same funding schedule.
The grants for 16 SCIMS at University
of Alabama/Birmingham, Santa Clara
Valley Medical Center, Los Amigos
Research and Education Institute, Inc.,
Craig Hospital, University of Miami,
Shepherd Center, Inc., Boston
University Medical Center Hospital,
University of Michigan, University of
Missouri/Columbia, Kessler Medical
Rehabilitation Research and Education
Corporation, Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, The
Institute for Rehabilitation and
Research, Virginia Commonwealth
University, and the University of
Washington are scheduled to expire on
various dates between August 31, 2005,
and November 30, 2005. It would be
contrary to the public interest, however,
to have a lapse in these SCI research
VerDate jul<14>2003
22:07 Jun 20, 2005
Jkt 205001
activities before the new awards are
made in FY 2006.
To avoid a lapse in research and
related activities, the Secretary will
fund each of these projects for an
additional 12 months. Accordingly, the
Secretary waives the requirements in 34
CFR 75.250 and 75.261(c)(2), which
prohibit project periods exceeding five
years and extensions of project periods
that involve the obligation of additional
Federal funds.
Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification
The Secretary certifies that the final
extension of the project period and
waiver would not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. The only
entities that would be affected are the 16
SCIMS.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
This final extension of project period
and waiver does not contain any
information collection requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is not subject to the
requirements of Executive Order 12372
and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well
as all other Department of Education
documents published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet
at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/
news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about
using PDF, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–
888–293–6498; or in the Washington,
DC, area at (202) 512–1530.
Note: The official version of this document
is the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the official
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Dated: June 15, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05–12223 Filed 6–20–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Privacy Act of 1974; System of
Records—Impact Evaluation of
Academic Instruction for After-School
Programs
Institute of Education Sciences,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of a new system of
records.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended
(Privacy Act), the Department of
Education (Department) publishes this
notice of a new system of records
entitled ‘‘Impact Evaluation of
Academic Instruction for After-School
Programs’’ (18–13–13).
The National Center for Education
Evaluation and Regional Assistance at
the Department’s Institute of Education
Sciences (IES) commissioned this
evaluation. It will address the following
two questions:
(1) What is the effectiveness of
offering intensive research-based
reading support in an after-school
program?
(2) Is it more effective than offering
more general academic support such as
homework help?
The system will contain information
about approximately 4,000 elementary
school students and their teachers
(approximately 600 teachers—12
teachers in each of the studied centers)
in 40 to 50 after-school centers in 20 to
25 school districts yet to be determined.
One quarter of these students will be
participants using a mathematics
curriculum, one quarter will be
participants using a reading curriculum,
and half will be in a control group. The
system will include these students’
names and demographic information,
such as race/ethnicity, age, gender, and
educational background, their results on
reading or math assessments, and some
of their school records data such as
attendance and academic history. The
system will also include responses to
student and teacher surveys.
DATES: The Department seeks comment
on this new system of records described
in this notice, in accordance with the
requirements of the Privacy Act. We
must receive your comments on the
proposed routine uses for the system of
records described in this notice on or
before July 21, 2005.
The Department filed a report
describing the new system of records
covered by this notice with the Chair of
the Senate Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs, the
Chair of the House Committee on
Government Reform, and the
E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM
21JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
Administrator of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) on June 16, 2005. This system of
records will become effective at the later
date of—(1) the expiration of the 40 day
period for OMB review on July 26, 2005
or (2) July 21, 2005, unless the system
of records needs to be changed as a
result of public comment or OMB
review.
Address all comments about
the proposed routine uses the system or
records described in this notice to Dr.
Ricky Takai, Associate Commissioner,
Evaluation Division, National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional
Assistance, Institute of Education
Sciences, U.S. Department of Education,
555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room
502D, Washington, DC 20208.
Telephone: (202) 208–7083. If you
prefer to send comments through the
Internet, use the following address:
comments@ed.gov.
You must include the term ‘‘AfterSchool Interventions’’ in the subject line
of the electronic message.
During and after the comment period,
you may inspect all comments about
this notice in room 502D, 555 New
Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC,
between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through
Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
ADDRESSES:
Assistance to Individuals With
Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record
On request, we supply an appropriate
aid, such as a reader or print magnifier,
to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the
comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice.
If you want to schedule an appointment
for this type of aid, please contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Ricky Takai. Telephone: (202) 208–
7083. If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the contact person listed in
this section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a)
requires the Department to publish in
the Federal Register this notice of a new
VerDate jul<14>2003
22:07 Jun 20, 2005
Jkt 205001
system of records maintained by the
Department. The Department’s
regulations implementing the Act are
contained in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) in 34 CFR part 5b.
The Privacy Act applies to
information about individuals that
contains individually identifiable
information and that is retrieved by a
unique identifier associated with each
individual, such as a name or social
security number. The information about
each individual is called a ‘‘record,’’
and the system, whether manual or
computer-based, is called a ‘‘system of
records.’’ The Privacy Act requires each
agency to publish notices of new or
altered systems of records in the Federal
Register and to submit reports to the
Administrator of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), the Chair of the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, and the Chair of
the House Committee on Government
Reform.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well
as all other documents of this
Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet
at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/
news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about
using PDF, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–
888–293–6498; or in the Washington,
DC, area at (202) 512–1530.
Note: The official version of this document
is the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the official
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
35657
SYSTEM LOCATION:
(1) Evaluation Division, National
Center for Education Evaluation and
Regional Assistance, Institute of
Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue,
NW., room 502D, Washington, DC
20208.
(2) MDRC, 16 East 34th Street, New
York, NY 10016.
(3) Private/Public Ventures (P/PV),
2000 Market Street, Suite 600,
Philadelphia, PA 19103.
(4) Survey Research Management,
1495 Yarmouth Avenue, Suite A,
Boulder, Colorado 80304.
The impact evaluation is being
conducted by MDRC in collaboration
with the Bloom Associates, P/PV, and
Survey Research Management. Bloom
Associates will not maintain records
from this system of records.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE
SYSTEM:
The system will contain information
about approximately 4,000 elementary
school students and their teachers
(approximately 600 teachers—12
teachers in each of the studied centers)
in 40 to 50 after-school centers in 20 to
25 school districts yet to be determined.
One quarter of these students will be
participants using a mathematics
curriculum, one quarter will be
participants using a reading curriculum,
and half will be in a control group.
Participation in the study is voluntary.
The goal of this study is to establish and
evaluate the effects of two supplemental
academic programs (a reading program
developed by Success For All and a
mathematics program developed by
Harcourt Publishers) for students with
reading and math skills below grade
level who participate in after-school
programs. Study sites will include, but
not be limited to, after-school programs
funded by the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers program.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
Dated: June 16, 2005.
Grover Whitehurst,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Director of the Institute of
Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education, publishes a notice of a new
system of records to read as follows:
18–13–13
SYSTEM NAME:
Impact Evaluation of Academic
Instruction For After-School Programs.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
PO 00000
None.
Frm 00043
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The system will include the students’
names, demographic information such
as race/ethnicity, age, gender, and
educational background, their results on
standardized achievement tests, and
some of their school records data, such
as attendance and academic history. The
system will also include responses to
survey questions from the students and
from the teachers of these students.
These surveys will request information
about the teachers’ backgrounds,
professional experience, and training, as
well as information about the academic
interventions. The student surveys will
request information about the students’
participation in after-school activities
E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM
21JNN1
35658
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
and other supplemental reading and
mathematics activities.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
The evaluation being conducted is
authorized under: (1) Sections 171(b)
and 173 of the Education Sciences
Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA) (20 U.S.C.
9561(b) and 9563); and (2) section
4202(a)(2) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965
(ESEA), as amended by the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (20
U.S.C. 7172(a)(2)).
PURPOSE(S):
The information in this system will be
used for the following purpose: to test
innovative instructional strategies to be
implemented in the after-school
programs selected for the study. In
particular, this system is necessary to
provide information for analyses of the
effectiveness of specific reading and
mathematics interventions on
elementary school students who
participate in after-school programs.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE
SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND
THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
The Department of Education
(Department) may disclose information
contained in a record in this system of
records under the routine uses listed in
this system of records without the
consent of the individual if the
disclosure is compatible with the
purposes for which the record was
collected. These disclosures may be
made on a case-by-case basis or, if the
Department has complied with the
computer matching requirements of the
Privacy Act, under a computer matching
agreement. Any disclosure of
individually identifiable information
from a record in this system must also
comply with the requirements of section
183 of the ESRA (20 U.S.C. 9573)
providing for confidentiality standards
that apply to all collections, reporting,
and publication of data by IES.
(1) Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) Advice Disclosure. The
Department may disclose records to the
U.S. Department of Justice and the
Office of Management and Budget if the
Department concludes that disclosure is
desirable or necessary in determining
whether particular records are required
to be disclosed under the FOIA.
(2) Contract Disclosure. If the
Department contracts with an entity for
the purposes of performing any function
that requires disclosure of records in
this system to employees of the
contractor, the Department may disclose
the records to those employees. Before
entering into such a contract, the
VerDate jul<14>2003
22:07 Jun 20, 2005
Jkt 205001
Department requires the contractor to
maintain Privacy Act safeguards as
required under 5 U.S.C. 552a(m) with
respect to the records in the system.
(3) Research Disclosure. The
Department may disclose records to a
researcher if an appropriate official of
the Department determines that the
individual or organization to which the
disclosure would be made is qualified to
carry out specific research related to
functions or purposes of this system of
records. The official may disclose
records from this system of records to
that researcher solely for the purpose of
carrying out that research related to the
functions or purposes of this system of
records. The researcher must maintain
Privacy Act safeguards with respect to
the disclosed records.
DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING
AGENCIES:
Not applicable to this system notice.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,
RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND
DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
The Department maintains records on
CD–ROM, and the contractor and
subcontractors maintain data for this
system on computers and in hard copy.
RETRIEVABILITY:
Records in this system are indexed by
a number assigned to each individual
that is cross-referenced by the
individual’s name on a separate list.
SAFEGUARDS:
All physical access to the
Department’s site and to the sites of the
Department’s contractor and
subcontractors, where this system of
records is maintained, is controlled and
monitored by security personnel. The
computer system employed by the
Department offers a high degree of
resistance to tampering and
circumvention. This computer system
permits data access to Department and
contract staff only on a ‘‘need-to-know’’
basis and controls individual users’’
ability to access and alter records within
the system. The contractor, MDRC, and
its subcontractors, P/PV, and Survey
Research Management, have established
similar sets of procedures at their sites
to ensure confidentiality of data. Their
systems ensure that information
identifying individuals is in files
physically separated from other research
data. They will maintain security of the
complete set of all master data files and
documentation. Access to individually
identifiable data will be strictly
controlled. At each site all data will be
kept in locked file cabinets during
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
nonworking hours, and work on hardcopy data will take place in a single
room, except for data entry. Physical
security of electronic data will also be
maintained. Security features that
protect project data include passwordprotected accounts that authorize users
to use the MDRC, P/PV, or Survey
Research Management system only to
access specific network directories and
network software; user rights and
directory and file attributes that limit
those who can use particular directories
and files and determine how they can
use them; e-mail passwords that
authorize the user to access mail
services; and additional security
features that the network administrators
establish for projects as needed. The
contractor and subcontractor employees
who maintain (collect, maintain, use, or
disseminate) data in this system must
comply with the requirements of the
confidentiality standards in section 183
of the ESRA (20 U.S.C. 9573).
RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
Records are maintained and disposed
of in accordance with the Department of
Education’s Records Disposition
Schedules, Part 3, Items 2b and 5a.
SYSTEM MANAGER AND ADDRESS:
Associate Commissioner, Evaluation
Division, National Center for Education
Evaluation and Regional Assistance,
Institute of Education Sciences, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New
Jersey Avenue, NW., room 502D,
Washington, DC 20208.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
If you wish to determine whether a
record exists regarding you in the
system of records, contact the systems
manager. Your request must meet the
requirements of regulations at 34 CFR
5b.5, including proof of identity.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
If you wish to gain access to your
record in the system of records, contact
the system manager. Your request must
meet the requirements of regulations at
34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
If you wish to contest the content of
a record regarding you in the system of
records, contact the system manager.
Your request must meet the
requirements of regulations at 34 CFR
5b.7, including proof of identity.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
The system will include information
obtained from the students, including
names, demographic information such
as race/ethnicity, age, gender, and
educational background, and their
E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM
21JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
results on standardized achievement
tests. The system will also include
responses to survey questions from the
students and from the teachers of these
students. These surveys will request
information about the teachers’
backgrounds, professional experience,
and training, as well as information
about the academic interventions. The
student surveys will request information
about the students’ participation in
after-school activities and other
supplemental reading and math
activities. This system also consists of
information obtained from the student’s
school, such as data about the student’s
attendance and academic history.
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
[FR Doc. 05–12226 Filed 6–20–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services; List of
Correspondence
Department of Education.
List of Correspondence from
January 2, 2005 through March 31, 2005.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Secretary is publishing
the following list pursuant to section
607(d) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, as amended
(IDEA). Under section 607(d) of the
IDEA, the Secretary is required, on a
quarterly basis, to publish in the
Federal Register a list of
correspondence from the Department of
Education received by individuals
during the previous quarter that
describes the interpretations of the
Department of Education (Department)
of the IDEA or the regulations that
implement the IDEA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melisande Lee or JoLeta Reynolds.
Telephone: (202) 245–7468.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain a copy of this notice in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, or computer diskette)
on request to the contact persons listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
following list identifies correspondence
from the Department issued from
January 2, 2005 through March 31, 2005.
Included on the list are those letters
that contain interpretations of the
VerDate jul<14>2003
22:07 Jun 20, 2005
Jkt 205001
requirements of the IDEA and its
implementing regulations, as well as
letters and other documents that the
Department believes will assist the
public in understanding the
requirements of the law and its
regulations. The date of and topic
addressed by a letter are identified, and
summary information is also provided,
as appropriate. To protect the privacy
interests of the individual or individuals
involved, personally identifiable
information has been deleted, as
appropriate. Pursuant to the effective
dates set forth in section 302 of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 (the Act),
which amended and reauthorized the
IDEA, the changes in IDEA that were
made by the Act, with certain
enumerated exceptions, will take effect
on July 1, 2005. Accordingly, statutory
citations in this list, as well as those
contained in the letters referenced in
this list, refer to the provisions of the
IDEA that were in effect at the time the
letters were issued.
Part B—Assistance for Education of All
Children With Disabilities
Section 611—Authorization; Allotment;
Use of Funds; Authorization of
Appropriations
Topic Addressed: Distribution of Funds
Æ Office of Special Education
Programs memorandum 05–07 dated
March 9, 2005, regarding
implementation of the funding formula
under the IDEA, specifically the year of
age cohorts for which a free appropriate
public education (FAPE) is ensured.
Section 612—State Eligibility
Topic Addressed: Free Appropriate
Public Education
Æ Office of Special Education
Programs memorandum 05–08 dated
March 17, 2005, regarding the
responsibilities under Part B of IDEA of
State and local educational agencies and
other public agencies in providing for
the education of children with
disabilities placed in or referred to
private residential programs.
Topic Addressed: Confidentiality of
Education Records
Æ Letter dated March 3, 2005 to
Austin Independent School District
Superintendent Dr. Pascal D. Forgione,
Jr. from Family Policy Compliance
Office Director LeRoy S. Rooker,
regarding provisions of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act
relating to the designation of directory
information and clarifying when parent
consent is required for the disclosure to
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
35659
third parties of directory information on
students with disabilities receiving
services under IDEA.
Topic Addressed: Children In Private
Schools
Æ Letter dated February 17, 2005 to
Maine Department of Education Office
of Special Services Director David Noble
Stockford, regarding the responsibility
of Maine and its public agencies to
ensure that FAPE is made available to
students with disabilities who attend
private schools because they reside in
school districts that do not operate
public high schools, and clarifying that
IDEA gives Maine and its public
agencies no authority to regulate private
schools.
Section 614—Evaluations, Eligibility
Determinations, Individualized
Education Programs, and Educational
Placements
Topic Addressed: Individualized
Education Programs
Æ Letter dated February 28, 2005 to
Massachusetts Advocate Kristen
Serwecki, regarding the role of a parent
who is the subject of a protective order
in the individualized education program
(IEP) process, including whether a
parent representative can attend an IEP
meeting as a member of the IEP team in
this circumstance.
Section 615—Procedural Safeguards
Topic Addressed: Manifestation
Determination Review
Æ Letter dated March 18, 2005 to
individual (personally identifiable
information redacted), regarding the
requirements of Part B of IDEA for
conducting a manifestation
determination review for children with
disabilities in disciplinary situations.
Other Letters That Do Not Interpret the
Idea but May Be of Interest to Readers
Topic Addressed: Extension of
Liquidation Periods for Grantees Under
State Administered Programs
Æ Memorandum dated January 28,
2005 to Chief State School Officers,
regarding guidance on general standards
for evaluating requests to the
Department for extensions of the 90-day
liquidation period for obligating Federal
funds and a process for handling these
requests.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well
as all other Department of Education
documents published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet
E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM
21JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35656-35659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12226]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records--Impact Evaluation of
Academic Instruction for After-School Programs
AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of a new system of records.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended
(Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this
notice of a new system of records entitled ``Impact Evaluation of
Academic Instruction for After-School Programs'' (18-13-13).
The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional
Assistance at the Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
commissioned this evaluation. It will address the following two
questions:
(1) What is the effectiveness of offering intensive research-based
reading support in an after-school program?
(2) Is it more effective than offering more general academic
support such as homework help?
The system will contain information about approximately 4,000
elementary school students and their teachers (approximately 600
teachers--12 teachers in each of the studied centers) in 40 to 50
after-school centers in 20 to 25 school districts yet to be determined.
One quarter of these students will be participants using a mathematics
curriculum, one quarter will be participants using a reading
curriculum, and half will be in a control group. The system will
include these students' names and demographic information, such as
race/ethnicity, age, gender, and educational background, their results
on reading or math assessments, and some of their school records data
such as attendance and academic history. The system will also include
responses to student and teacher surveys.
DATES: The Department seeks comment on this new system of records
described in this notice, in accordance with the requirements of the
Privacy Act. We must receive your comments on the proposed routine uses
for the system of records described in this notice on or before July
21, 2005.
The Department filed a report describing the new system of records
covered by this notice with the Chair of the Senate Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Chair of the House
Committee on Government Reform, and the
[[Page 35657]]
Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on June 16, 2005. This system of
records will become effective at the later date of--(1) the expiration
of the 40 day period for OMB review on July 26, 2005 or (2) July 21,
2005, unless the system of records needs to be changed as a result of
public comment or OMB review.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about the proposed routine uses the
system or records described in this notice to Dr. Ricky Takai,
Associate Commissioner, Evaluation Division, National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education
Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW.,
room 502D, Washington, DC 20208. Telephone: (202) 208-7083. If you
prefer to send comments through the Internet, use the following
address: comments@ed.gov.
You must include the term ``After-School Interventions'' in the
subject line of the electronic message.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all comments
about this notice in room 502D, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern time, Monday
through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or print
magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs assistance to
review the comments or other documents in the public rulemaking record
for this notice. If you want to schedule an appointment for this type
of aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Ricky Takai. Telephone: (202) 208-
7083. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in this section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) requires the Department to publish
in the Federal Register this notice of a new system of records
maintained by the Department. The Department's regulations implementing
the Act are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in 34
CFR part 5b.
The Privacy Act applies to information about individuals that
contains individually identifiable information and that is retrieved by
a unique identifier associated with each individual, such as a name or
social security number. The information about each individual is called
a ``record,'' and the system, whether manual or computer-based, is
called a ``system of records.'' The Privacy Act requires each agency to
publish notices of new or altered systems of records in the Federal
Register and to submit reports to the Administrator of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, and the Chair of the House Committee on
Government Reform.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this
Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: https://
www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.
Dated: June 16, 2005.
Grover Whitehurst,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Director of the
Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education,
publishes a notice of a new system of records to read as follows:
18-13-13
SYSTEM NAME:
Impact Evaluation of Academic Instruction For After-School
Programs.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
None.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
(1) Evaluation Division, National Center for Education Evaluation
and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 502D,
Washington, DC 20208.
(2) MDRC, 16 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016.
(3) Private/Public Ventures (P/PV), 2000 Market Street, Suite 600,
Philadelphia, PA 19103.
(4) Survey Research Management, 1495 Yarmouth Avenue, Suite A,
Boulder, Colorado 80304.
The impact evaluation is being conducted by MDRC in collaboration
with the Bloom Associates, P/PV, and Survey Research Management. Bloom
Associates will not maintain records from this system of records.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
The system will contain information about approximately 4,000
elementary school students and their teachers (approximately 600
teachers--12 teachers in each of the studied centers) in 40 to 50
after-school centers in 20 to 25 school districts yet to be determined.
One quarter of these students will be participants using a mathematics
curriculum, one quarter will be participants using a reading
curriculum, and half will be in a control group. Participation in the
study is voluntary. The goal of this study is to establish and evaluate
the effects of two supplemental academic programs (a reading program
developed by Success For All and a mathematics program developed by
Harcourt Publishers) for students with reading and math skills below
grade level who participate in after-school programs. Study sites will
include, but not be limited to, after-school programs funded by the
21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
The system will include the students' names, demographic
information such as race/ethnicity, age, gender, and educational
background, their results on standardized achievement tests, and some
of their school records data, such as attendance and academic history.
The system will also include responses to survey questions from the
students and from the teachers of these students. These surveys will
request information about the teachers' backgrounds, professional
experience, and training, as well as information about the academic
interventions. The student surveys will request information about the
students' participation in after-school activities
[[Page 35658]]
and other supplemental reading and mathematics activities.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
The evaluation being conducted is authorized under: (1) Sections
171(b) and 173 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA) (20
U.S.C. 9561(b) and 9563); and (2) section 4202(a)(2) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (20 U.S.C. 7172(a)(2)).
PURPOSE(S):
The information in this system will be used for the following
purpose: to test innovative instructional strategies to be implemented
in the after-school programs selected for the study. In particular,
this system is necessary to provide information for analyses of the
effectiveness of specific reading and mathematics interventions on
elementary school students who participate in after-school programs.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
The Department of Education (Department) may disclose information
contained in a record in this system of records under the routine uses
listed in this system of records without the consent of the individual
if the disclosure is compatible with the purposes for which the record
was collected. These disclosures may be made on a case-by-case basis
or, if the Department has complied with the computer matching
requirements of the Privacy Act, under a computer matching agreement.
Any disclosure of individually identifiable information from a record
in this system must also comply with the requirements of section 183 of
the ESRA (20 U.S.C. 9573) providing for confidentiality standards that
apply to all collections, reporting, and publication of data by IES.
(1) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advice Disclosure. The
Department may disclose records to the U.S. Department of Justice and
the Office of Management and Budget if the Department concludes that
disclosure is desirable or necessary in determining whether particular
records are required to be disclosed under the FOIA.
(2) Contract Disclosure. If the Department contracts with an entity
for the purposes of performing any function that requires disclosure of
records in this system to employees of the contractor, the Department
may disclose the records to those employees. Before entering into such
a contract, the Department requires the contractor to maintain Privacy
Act safeguards as required under 5 U.S.C. 552a(m) with respect to the
records in the system.
(3) Research Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to a
researcher if an appropriate official of the Department determines that
the individual or organization to which the disclosure would be made is
qualified to carry out specific research related to functions or
purposes of this system of records. The official may disclose records
from this system of records to that researcher solely for the purpose
of carrying out that research related to the functions or purposes of
this system of records. The researcher must maintain Privacy Act
safeguards with respect to the disclosed records.
DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES:
Not applicable to this system notice.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING,
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
The Department maintains records on CD-ROM, and the contractor and
subcontractors maintain data for this system on computers and in hard
copy.
RETRIEVABILITY:
Records in this system are indexed by a number assigned to each
individual that is cross-referenced by the individual's name on a
separate list.
SAFEGUARDS:
All physical access to the Department's site and to the sites of
the Department's contractor and subcontractors, where this system of
records is maintained, is controlled and monitored by security
personnel. The computer system employed by the Department offers a high
degree of resistance to tampering and circumvention. This computer
system permits data access to Department and contract staff only on a
``need-to-know'' basis and controls individual users'' ability to
access and alter records within the system. The contractor, MDRC, and
its subcontractors, P/PV, and Survey Research Management, have
established similar sets of procedures at their sites to ensure
confidentiality of data. Their systems ensure that information
identifying individuals is in files physically separated from other
research data. They will maintain security of the complete set of all
master data files and documentation. Access to individually
identifiable data will be strictly controlled. At each site all data
will be kept in locked file cabinets during nonworking hours, and work
on hard-copy data will take place in a single room, except for data
entry. Physical security of electronic data will also be maintained.
Security features that protect project data include password-protected
accounts that authorize users to use the MDRC, P/PV, or Survey Research
Management system only to access specific network directories and
network software; user rights and directory and file attributes that
limit those who can use particular directories and files and determine
how they can use them; e-mail passwords that authorize the user to
access mail services; and additional security features that the network
administrators establish for projects as needed. The contractor and
subcontractor employees who maintain (collect, maintain, use, or
disseminate) data in this system must comply with the requirements of
the confidentiality standards in section 183 of the ESRA (20 U.S.C.
9573).
RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
Records are maintained and disposed of in accordance with the
Department of Education's Records Disposition Schedules, Part 3, Items
2b and 5a.
SYSTEM MANAGER AND ADDRESS:
Associate Commissioner, Evaluation Division, National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education
Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW.,
room 502D, Washington, DC 20208.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
If you wish to determine whether a record exists regarding you in
the system of records, contact the systems manager. Your request must
meet the requirements of regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of
identity.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
If you wish to gain access to your record in the system of records,
contact the system manager. Your request must meet the requirements of
regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
If you wish to contest the content of a record regarding you in the
system of records, contact the system manager. Your request must meet
the requirements of regulations at 34 CFR 5b.7, including proof of
identity.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
The system will include information obtained from the students,
including names, demographic information such as race/ethnicity, age,
gender, and educational background, and their
[[Page 35659]]
results on standardized achievement tests. The system will also include
responses to survey questions from the students and from the teachers
of these students. These surveys will request information about the
teachers' backgrounds, professional experience, and training, as well
as information about the academic interventions. The student surveys
will request information about the students' participation in after-
school activities and other supplemental reading and math activities.
This system also consists of information obtained from the student's
school, such as data about the student's attendance and academic
history.
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
[FR Doc. 05-12226 Filed 6-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
