Department of Education January 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

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

On January 16, 2009, we published a notice in the Federal Register (74 FR 3005-3009) inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2009 under the Higher Education Disaster Relief program. We listed the incorrect dates for the Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications and the Deadline for Transmittal of Applications in that notice.

This notice is being published in the Federal Register consistent with section 457(b)(2) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). Section 457 of GEPA authorizes the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) to enter into a compliance agreement with a recipient that is failing to comply substantially with Federal program requirements. In order to enter into a compliance agreement, the Department must determine, in written findings, that the recipient cannot comply with the applicable program requirements until a future date. On October 8, 2008, the Department entered into a compliance agreement with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). Section 457(b)(2) of GEPA requires the Department to publish written findings leading to a compliance agreement, with a copy of the compliance agreement, in the Federal Register.

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

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

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 Title I Supplemental Educational Services.'' The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at the Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) commissioned this study to evaluate the effectiveness of Title I Supplemental Educational Services (SES) in improving the reading or mathematics achievement, or both, of students in Title I schools that have failed to make adequate yearly progress for three years. Section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 6316), requires districts with Title I schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for three years or more to offer SES to students from low-income families who attend these schools. SES are tutoring and other supplemental academic enrichment services that are offered in addition to instruction provided during the regular school day and are provided by State-approved providers free of charge to eligible students. Parents can choose the specific SES provider from among a list approved to serve their district. The Department has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. to evaluate the impact of SES on student achievement in up to twelve school districts across the country. The study will address the following questions: (1) What is the impact of participation in Title I SES on student achievement in reading and mathematics? (2) Are district characteristics and practices, SES provider characteristics and services, and student characteristics related to the impact on student achievement? The evaluation will target school districts where Title I SES are oversubscribed. When more students apply for SES than the district is able to serve, under statute, the district must give priority to the lowest-achieving students. The students who apply but do not meet the achievement level criteria are an unbiased comparison group for the students who do participate in SES. The system will contain information about approximately 50,000 third- to eighth-graders from up to twelve school districts. The system of records will include individually identifying information about the student applicants participating in the evaluation, including names; demographic information such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, and educational background; level of participation in SES programs; and scores on State reading and mathematics achievement tests.

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research's (NIDRR's) Long-Range Plan (Plan) for fiscal years 2010 through 2014. Pursuant to section 202(h)(1) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Department is required to develop a plan for NIDRR that outlines NIDRR's priorities for rehabilitation research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, and explains the basis for these priorities.

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

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Education (Department) gives notice that on August 2, 2008, an arbitration panel rendered a decision in the matter of Janet Dickey v. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Case no. R-S/07-10). This panel was convened by the Department under 20 U.S.C. 107d-1(a), after the Department received a complaint filed by the petitioner, Janet Dickey.

The National Assessment Governing Board is announcing a public hearing on January 30, 2009 to obtain comment on policy options for testing and reporting of Students with Disabilities (SD) and English Language Learners (ELL) on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Public and private parties and organizations are invited to present written and/or oral testimony. The hearing will be held at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center, Wiggins Road, across from the UTEP Library, El Paso, TX 79968 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST. This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming public hearing of the National Assessment Governing Board. This notice also describes the functions of the Board. Notice of this meeting is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This document is intended to notify members of the general public of their opportunity to provide comment. Individuals who will need special accommodations in order to attend the hearing (such as interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202-357-6938 or at Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov no later than January 23, 2009. We will attempt to meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the requested accommodation. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The Homeless Education Disaster Assistance program is a new, one-year program authorized under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. This program provides assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) or consortia of LEAs located within the same State whose enrollment of homeless students has increased as a result of a natural disaster that occurred in calendar year 2008 (2008).

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

On October 31, 2008, we published in the Federal Register (73 FR 64928) a notice inviting applications for the AP Test Fee FY 2009 competition. That notice established a December 15, 2008 deadline date for eligible applicants to apply for funding under this program. In order to afford as many eligible applicants as possible an opportunity to receive funding under this program, we are reopening the AP Test Fee FY 2009 competition to eligible applicants that did not apply for funds by the December 15, 2008 deadline. An eligible applicant that submitted its application by the December 15, 2008 deadline does not need to re-submit its application. All information in the October 31, 2008 notice remains the same for this notice reopening the competition, except for the following updates to DATES. Dates: Applications Available: January 8, 2009. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 15, 2009.

On December 23, 2008, we published in the Federal Register (73 FR 78751) a notice inviting applications for new awards for FY 2009 under the High School Equivalency Program. We are correcting the notice to specify the Deadline for Intergovernmental Review of applications submitted in this competition. On page 78751, first column, under DATES:, after ``Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 23, 2009.'' add ``Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 24, 2009.''. On page 78752, first column, under 3. Submission Dates and Times:, after ``Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 23, 2009.'' add ``Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 24, 2009.''.