Department of Education June 15, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 Upward Bound's Increased Focus on Higher-Risk Students'' (18-13-17). The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at the Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) commissioned this evaluation. It will be conducted under a contract that IES awarded in September 2006. IES has been collaborating with the Department's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) to coordinate the study of the impacts of the Upward Bound program on higher-risk students and students as a whole. The study will address the following questions: (1) What are the impacts of Upward Bound on student outcomes including course taking, grades received, test scores, retention in high school, college preparation services received, and college and career expectationsboth overall and for higher-risk students? (2) Does the impact of Upward Bound vary according to grantee practices and characteristics, such as the ratio of higher-risk students to total students served by the grantee? (3) Does there appear to be a relationship between program impacts and control group students' receipt of similar services, such as tutoring, mentoring, after-school and summer enrichment programs, and college application and financial aid assistance? The system will contain information about approximately 3,600 students applying for admission at approximately 90 Upward Bound grantees for the 2007-2008 academic year, of which approximately 1,800 will have been offered admission to Upward Bound and 1,800 will serve as a control group for the purposes of this evaluation. These students will be in either 9th or 10th grade during the 2007-2008 academic year. The Upward Bound grantees included in the evaluation will be a sample of all Upward Bound grantees. The system of records will include information about these sampled students, including their names, addresses, demographic information such as race/ethnicity, gender, age, and educational background, attitudes toward school, and educational aspirations.

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.