Department of Education March 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the agenda for the June 25-26, 2012, meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI); and provides information to members of the public on submitting written comments and on requesting to make oral comments at the meeting. The notice of this meeting is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and Section 114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended. Meeting Date and Place: The NACIQI meeting will be held on June 25- 26, 2012, from approximately 8:30 a.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m. at the Westin Alexandria, 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314. Meeting Agenda: Below is a list of agencies, including their current and requested scopes of recognition, scheduled for review during the June 25-26, 2012, meeting:

This is a revision of the Child Care Access Means Parent In School Program (CCAMPIS) Annual Performance Report (APR) which grantees must submit annually. The report provides the Department of Education with information needed to evaluate a grantee's performance and compliance with program requirements in accordance with the program authorizing statute. Dates: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 27, 2012. Addresses: Written comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or mailed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from https:// edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ``Browse Pending Collections'' link and by clicking on link number 04790. When you access the information collection, click on ``Download Attachments'' to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Requests may also be electronically mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202- 401-0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number when making your request. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Supplementary Information: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that Federal agencies provide interested parties an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, publishes this notice containing proposed information collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental review of the information collection. 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: Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program Annual Performance Report. OMB Control Number: 1840-0763. Type of Review: Revision. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 153. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,071. Abstract: The data collected is aggregated to provide national information on project participants and the results demonstrated by program outcomes. The burden hours are increased due to additional queries have been added to the APR that capture more specific data needed to enhance the understanding of results demonstrated by this program in accordance with OMB mandates.

The Secretary of the Department of Education (Department) establishes a new part in 2 CFR that adopts the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) guidance, as supplemented by this new part, as the Department's regulations for nonprocurement debarment and suspension. The Secretary removes regulations that contain the Department's current implementation of the Governmentwide common rule on nonprocurement debarment and suspension. The Secretary also amends regulations to correct citations as appropriate. The new part will serve the same purposes as, and is substantively identical to, the nonprocurement suspension and debarment common rule published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2003. On August 31, 2005, OMB established interim final guidance that was substantively identical to the common rule and directed Federal agencies to adopt those guidelines as regulations. On November 15, 2006, OMB published final guidance. These final regulations adopt the OMB guidance as regulations of the Department. In addition, the Department adds those requirements that describe how the Department implements suspension and debarment requirements in the context of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). This regulatory action is an administrative simplification that makes no substantive change in the Department's policy or procedures for nonprocurement debarment and suspension. We do not intend any substantive changes to the Department's debarment and suspension regulations. To be sure we achieved that objective, we ask for technical comments about whether the new regulations are substantively different than the existing regulations.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Quick Response Information System (QRIS) consists of the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) and the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS). The QRIS currently conducts surveys under OMB generic clearance 1850-0733, which expires in June 2012. This submission requests approval to continue the current clearance conditions through 2015. FRSS primarily conducts surveys of the elementary/secondary sector (districts, schools) and public libraries. PEQIS conducts surveys of the postsecondary education sector.

The Secretary is publishing the following list of correspondence from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to individuals during the previous quarter. The correspondence describes the Department's interpretations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the regulations that implement the IDEA. This list and the letters or other documents described in this list, with personally identifiable information redacted, as appropriate, can be found at: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/.

The purpose of the National Professional Development Program, which is administered by the Office of English Language Acquisition, is to support pre-service education and professional development activities intended to improve instruction for English Learners (ELs). Grants are made to Institutions of Higher Education that have entered into consortium arrangements with states or school districts. Funded projects are designed to increase the pool of highly-qualified teachers prepared to serve EL students and increase the skills of teachers already serving them.

This notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the fourth meeting of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. The notice also describes the functions of the Commission. Notice of the meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and intended to notify the public of its opportunity to attend.

The Department of Education (the Department), 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 and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The Department of Education (Department or Education) provides notice of its interpretation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Department's implementing regulations, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in federally assisted programs and activities (Education's Section 504 regulations). Among other things, Education's Section 504 regulations address the accessibility and usability of a recipient's facilities by persons with disabilities. This document explains that for new construction and alterations commenced on or after September 15, 2010, we will permit recipients of Federal financial assistance from the Department to use an additional alternative accessibility standard in lieu of the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) for the purpose of complying with Section 504. Specifically, we will permit the use of the U. S. Department of Justice's 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II regulation (referred to in this notice as the 2010 Title II ADA Standards) except that Exception (1) to Section 206.2.3 does not apply. Use of the 2010 Title II ADA Standards will not be required as a means of compliance with Section 504, however, until the Department revises its Section 504 regulations to formally adopt the 2010 Title II ADA Standards in lieu of UFAS.

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (Institute) announces the Institute's FY 2013 competitions for grants to support education research and special education research. The Director takes this action under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The Institute's purpose in awarding these grants is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of developmental and school readiness outcomes for infants and toddlers with or at risk for disability, and of education outcomes for all students from early childhood education through postsecondary and adult education.

The Department of Education (the Department), 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 and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The Department of Education is reopening the Upward Bound (UB) program FY 2012 competition and accepting amended applications for new awards for the UB program FY 2012 competition from a limited number of applicants that may have been affected by incorrect information provided by the Department regarding Competitive Preference Priority 1Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools.