Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Acting Leader, Information Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment at the address specified above. Copies of the requests are

available from Patrick J. Sherrill at the address specified above. 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.

Dated: March 11, 1999. Patrick J. Sherrill, Acting Leader, Information Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Type of Review: New. Title: Consolidated State Performance Report and State Self-Review. Frequency: Annually. Affected Public: State, local or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs. Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: Responses: 53. Burden Hours: 207,514. Abstract: This information collection package contains two related parts: the Consolidated State Performance Report and State Self-Review. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), in general, and its provision for submission of consolidated plans, in particular (see section 14302 of the ESEA), emphasize the importance of cross-program coordination and integration of federal programs into educational activities carried out with State and local funds. States would use both instruments for reporting on activities that occur during the 1999-2000 school year and, if the ESEA when reauthorized does not become effective for the 2000-2001 school year, for that year as well. The documents allow State and local officials and educators to see at one time the full scope of their general reporting (and corresponding data collection) responsibilities, and promotes the Department's interests in (1) receiving essential information on how States have implemented their approved consolidated State plans and (2) promoting the Department's ability to provide assistance to States on how they may be able to use federal funds most effectively. The State Self- Review would be completed by those States (approximately 18 per year) that are the object of an Office of Elementary and Secondary Education integrated program review. The information States provide will complement their responses to the Consolidated Performance Report, but also will provide specific information on program implementation that is needed for an effective integrated review. The Department intends that, once the ESEA is reauthorized, it will work actively with the public to revise their content so that they support an integrated information collection system that responds to the new law and better reflects how federal programs help to promote State and local reform efforts.

[FR Doc. 99-6425 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P