Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Private School Universe Survey (PSS) 2025-26 and 2027-28 Data Collections, and 2027-28 PSS Frame Development Activities

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20419-20420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07410]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2026-SCC-1321]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Private School Universe Survey (PSS) 2025-26 and 2027-28 Data 
Collections, and 2027-28 PSS Frame Development Activities

AGENCY: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of 
Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Department is proposing a revision of a currently approved 
information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 15, 2026.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2026-SCC-1321. 
Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal 
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov 
site is not available to the public for any reason, the Department will 
temporarily accept comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please include the 
docket ID number and the title of the information collection request 
when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that 
comments submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. 
Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail 
or delivery should be addressed to Matthew Soldner, National Center for 
Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department

[[Page 20420]]

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Matthew Soldner, Acting 
Commissioner, National Center for Education Statistics, 
NCESCommissioner@ed.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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, revised, and continuing collections of 
information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 
The Department 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: Private School Universe Survey (PSS) 2025-26 
and 2027-28 Data Collections, and 2027-28 PSS Frame Development 
Activities.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0621.
    Type of Review: A revision of a currently approved ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 32,550.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 5,981.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: NCES: Title 20 U.S.C. 9543-44.
    Abstract: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 
within the U.S. Department of Education, conducts the Private School 
Universe Survey (PSS), a national survey of private elementary and 
secondary schools. The PSS is designed to collect biennial data on the 
total number of private schools, teachers, and students; and to create 
an NCES universe frame of private schools that serve as a sampling 
frame for NCES surveys. This survey is an ongoing project to improve 
NCES universe and sample data on private schools.
    This request is to revise contacting materials associated with 
2027-28 PSS frame-development activities (see: ``Appendix A-C PSS 2025-
2028 Communications Materials v.16rev'' in this docket). Additional 
information about the currently approved collection can be found at 
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202409-1850-004. 
As of May 2025, NCES's assurances of confidentiality protections for 
PSS 2025-26 have changed due to staffing changes at the Department of 
Education. NCES has removed the Foundations of Evidence-Based 
Policymaking Act of 2018, Title III, Part B, Confidential Information 
Protection (``CIPSEA'') as a confidentiality assurance. However, 
confidentiality assurances under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
2002 (ESRA) remain in effect. NCES will consider restoring CIPSEA 
protections for future PSS collections as appropriate. NCES anticipates 
submitting a subsequent amendment to this Information Collection 
Request to accommodate potential revisions to the 2027-28 PSS survey 
questionnaire and to further update communications materials associated 
with this collection.

Ross Santy,
Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2026-07410 Filed 4-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P