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. ( printed page 58664)

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) and to extend the expiration date of the collection to May 31, 2028. Additional information about the currently approved collection can be found at www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAViewICR?​ref_​nbr=​202409-1850-004.

On April 15, 2026, NCES published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting comments on this request. It can be found at www.regulations.gov/​document/​ED-2026-SCC-1321-0001. As shown there one comment was received, which asked NCES to consider modifying the PSS to include one or more questions to elicit information about how private schools use instructional technology. Because the present request focuses only on recruitment materials, and because questions of this type are not historically in-scope for PSS, NCES elects to make no changes to the collection at this time. 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.

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.

91 FR 58663