In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for 6 months. When the Department extends or revises this collection, it will provide OMB with an update on how participation compares to what was envisioned (noted in the August 2010 supplemental materials). This should include an assessment of how the Department will address low participation (if relevant).
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
02/28/2011
6 Months From Approved
60,000
0
0
4,500
0
0
0
0
0
TEACH.gov will be a web site clearinghouse for information necessary to become a PK-12 teacher, including, but not limited to: career preparation information, financial aid packages, certification resources, job listings and state/district profiles. This Information Collection Request (ICR) represents the job listing section of TEACH.gov. TEACH.gov does not aim to become a "job bank." TEACH.gov will offer a section on the web site that displays an aggregate of existing teacher jobs throughout the United States. TEACH.gov will display a limited amount of job listing information on its web site and the viewer will click through the source web site link to view the full job description and application instructions. The publishers of a job listing may be: a commercial or non-profit job listing service, a state educational agency (State Department of Education), a local educational agency (school district) or a school not operating within a school district.
ED seeks emergency approval for a fully-functional web based application that would link prospective teachers to opportunities for preparation, licensure, and employment. The job-posting feature phase of this web site must be fully functional by next month, September 2010, so the Administration can provide an effective resource for prospective and current teachers who are interested in teaching opportunities throughout the United States. In order to meet this need, ED must be able to collect limited information before the expiration of the time period established under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
The FY 2009 appropriation for the School Improvement Program, authorizes the Secretary to establish a national initiative, such as the TEACH campaign, to improve the recruitment, training, mentoring, retention, and placement of teachers and principals in order to improve educational outcomes. Only 7 percent of teachers are African American and 7 percent of teachers are Latino. The Nation also faces a major shortage of individuals who teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). TEACH.gov is an essential component of the Secretary's effort to increase interest in and access to the teaching profession, particularly among minority individuals, and particularly in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). TEACH.gov will be a virtual Âone stop shopping center for aspiring teachers to learn about ways to find a career in teaching that is personally best for them.
The TEACH campaign, which includes TEACH.gov, is a high priority of the Secretary and has the full and enthusiastic support of the President. Indeed, the Secretary is committed to delivering a full functioning Web site for the start of this coming school year and is scheduled to unveil TEACH.gov to the public next month with endorsements by the President and a variety of celebrities.
The Secretary plans to enter into partnerships with several organizations that support increasing interest in, and access to, the teaching profession, particularly among minority individuals and particularly for teaching STEM subjects. These organizations will work with the Department to direct aspiring minority and STEM teacher candidates to TEACH.gov to seek information about career opportunities as a teacher.
We ask for emergency approval because both the President and the Secretary believe that it is imperative that we increase interest in, and access to, the teaching profession, particularly for minority individuals and individuals who are interested in teaching STEM subjects. The Secretary believes that TEACH.gov will be very effective at achieving this objective, and no other Web site currently exists that is as comprehensive as TEACH.gov. We must launch TEACH.gov as soon as possible to meet the needs of schools and school districts in the coming academic year. Without approval of the SecretaryÂs emergency request, we will be prohibited from collecting and providing essential information to aspiring teachers in a timely manner. Failure to launch TEACH.gov for this coming academic year would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the Administration's effort to increase the number of minority teachers and teachers of STEM subjects.
This is a program change for a new collection of information; therefore all burden is new. This program change is necessary to support a comprehensive teaching profession web resource. As part of this comprehensive resource, job listings that link to existing open positions will provide potential and certified teachers information to help them make decisions about preparing for and seeking a job in the classroom.
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.