SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 ^[1] requires Federal agencies to develop “a systematic plan for identifying and addressing policy questions relevant to the programs, policies, and regulations of the agency.” ^[2]  This plan, referred to as a Learning Agenda, offers the opportunity for the Department to develop evidence in service of achieving its strategic goals and objectives, answering important short- and long-term strategic and operational questions. We seek public comments to inform the development of our FY 2022-2026 Learning Agenda.

This is a request for information only. This RFI is not a request for proposals (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP or a notice inviting applications. This RFI does not commit the Department to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, we are not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. The Department will not pay for any information or administrative costs that you may incur in responding to this RFI. The documents and information submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned.

We will review every comment, and, as described above, electronic comments in response to this RFI will be publicly available on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Please note that IES will not directly respond to comments.

Solicitation of Comments

The Department intends to focus its FY 2022-2026 evidence-building activities on six areas that are related to achieving the Department's education mission and are consistent with the Secretary's vision for American education.^[3] We list each area below and invite stakeholders who are interested in the work of the Department for their input on (1) the most important questions about which evidence should be built in each area; (2) specific evidence-building activities that should be undertaken, either by the Department or by others with the capacity to do so, to answer those questions; and (3) areas not listed below to which the Department should pay particular attention as it refines its FY 2022-2026 Learning Agenda during this and future fiscal years. These six areas of the Learning Agenda are—

1. Addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students, schools and institutions of higher education, educators, and their communities; ( printed page 45977)

2. Promoting equity in student access to educational resources, opportunities, and welcoming, safe, and inclusive environments;

3. Meeting student social, emotional, mental health, basic, and academic needs;

4. Increasing postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success;

5. Supporting a well-prepared diverse educator workforce and their professional growth to strengthen student learning; and

6. Improving Federal student aid programs.

Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT , individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.

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86 FR 45976