OMB83 C Memo

MEMORANDUM

TO: OMB Desk Officer

FROM: Enid Marshall

CSPR Coordinator

SUBJECT: Transmittal – OMB 83C Package for the SY 2008-09 Consolidated State Performance Report (#1810-0614), Part I and Part II,

I am forwarding under OMB 83C proposed technical modifications to the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) for the SY 2008-09 collection. The current CSPR was approved (OMB #1810-0614) in October 2007 and will expire October 31, 2010.

Part I of the SY 2007-08 CSPR will be due to the Department on or before December 18, 2009. Part II will be due on or before February 26, 2010.

We are requesting technical modifications to the CSPR to: (1) improve the quality and validity of the data the Department receives by improving the clarity and intent of questions; and (2) eliminate questions (partially or fully) that are no longer needed or that are duplicative. The proposed technical modifications result from questions and feedback we received from States during the SY 2007-08 CSPR submission periods, data quality issues program offices identified during data quality reviews of State submissions, and question-by-question reviews program offices conducted in conjunction with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) to ensure that the wording of each question was clear and consistent with the intent of the governing statute, and that each question was yielding useful and/or necessary information.

We are pleased with the pro-active steps program offices are taking to refine the CSPR as they take greater ownership of CSPR results and incorporate use of CSPR data as integral part of program monitoring and technical assistance to States.

Summary of Proposed Technical Modifications

Section 1.1: Standards and Assessment Development

• Decreases the amount of characters provided to ensure more precise responses.

Section 1.2: Participation in State Assessment

• Clarifies questions concerning IDEA students.

Section 1.3: Student Academic Achievement

• Clarifies questions concerning IDEA students.

• Modifies instructions for clarity.

Section 1.4: School and District Accountability

• Clarifies the question to ensure that States explicitly provide the bulleted demographic information for schools and districts identified for improvement. Modifies definitions and instructions for clarity and consistency with requirements defined in the statute.

• Provides clarification to the question and table regarding effective school improvement strategies.

Section 1.5: Teacher Quality

• Chart column and row headings changed to provide greater clarity to the collection.

• Adds FAQ to provide clarity about the reporting period about highly qualified teachers and core academic classes.

• Adds headings to tables for clarity.

Section 1.6: Title III and Language Instructional Programs

• Modifies wording, instructions, and citations throughout the section for greater clarity and consistency to improve data quality.

• Adds instructions and a table for states to provide information on LEP data.

• Corrects title headings.

Section 1.9: Title III and Language Instructional Programs

• Modifies wording of title from subpopulations to subgroups.

Section 2.1: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies (Title I, Part A)

• Modifies wording and instructions of existing items for greater clarity and consistency.

Section 2.2: W. F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs (Title I, Part B, Subpart 3)

• Section 2.2.2 deleted from the collection.

• Modifies and revises the wording and instructions of existing items and tables for greater clarity and consistency.

Section 2.3: Education of Migrant Children (Title I, Part C)

• Removes “ungraded” as a category to provide greater clarity to the table.

The technical modifications requested will not increase the estimated burden hours for respondents. The specific modifications requested are detailed in Attachment A.