The U.S. Department of EducationÂs (ED) Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) has developed a web-based platform, the Open Innovation Web Portal (Portal), to support communication and collaboration among a wide range of key education stakeholders, including practitioners, funders, and the general public. Once this platform goes on-line, it will allow geographically dispersed but like-minded entities to discover each other and work together to address some of the most intractable challenges in education.
The Department is requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clear the application on an emergency basis. Because the i3 program seeks to identify innovative new approaches, the Department hopes that applicants will include individuals and organizations that have previously had limited experience in the education sector yet have promising evidence-based ideas for improving American education. These applicants in particular face challenges in identifying schools or LEAs with which to partner given their limited experience in the field. Further, organizations without existing relationships in education may find it difficult to secure the private sector matching funds required of all grantees under ARRA. Receiving OMBÂs approval on an emergency basis is thus essential to launching the Portal and supporting improved student achievement through school improvement and reform, one of the primary objectives of ARRA. Since the passage of ARRA, OII staff has worked with the Office of General Counsel to develop a Portal that supports the intent of the i3 program to encourage new and innovative approaches to solving longstanding education challenges. Using the regular clearance process would make it far more difficult for prospective applicants without existing relationships in the education field to compete for i3 grants, because a clearance process of at least 120 days would delay the release of the Portal until May at the earliest, leaving little if any time for prospective applicants to use the Portal before formal applications are due. In conclusion, failure to approve this emergency request would cause substantial harm to precisely the applicants that the i3 program hopes to entice and as a direct result would negatively impact the schools and students who would benefit most from new and improved approaches to education.
This is a new collection. The Department of Education has developed a web-based Platform that will allow key education stakeholders to communicate and collaborate to improve the quality of education. This communication and collaboration necessitates that participants voluntarily submit specific information to the platform so that others are able to understand the ideas and contribute meaningfully.
$14,175
No
No
Uncollected
Uncollected
Yes
Uncollected
Jefferson Pestronk 2024537448
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.