Elementary and Secondary Improvement Formula Grants
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
Approved without change
03/11/2015
02/09/2015
table that charts list comparision
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
03/31/2018
36 Months From Approved
11/30/2016
3,102
0
3,102
233,440
0
229,800
0
0
0
The U.S. Secretary of Education has published revised final requirements for the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program in the Federal Register on February 9, 2015, authorized under section 1003(g) of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), to implement language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, that allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to implement additional interventions, provides flexibility for rural LEAs, and extends the grant period from three to five years. Additionally, the final requirements make changes that reflect lessons learned from four years of SIG implementation. The Secretary published proposed requirements for public comment on September 8, 2014 and responded to comments as part of these final requirements.
These final requirements contain information collection activities covered under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and cause revisions to the currently approved Office of Management and Budget (OMB) data collection under control 1810-0682. The activities that are currently approved by OMB consist of: (1) the state educational agency (SEAs') preparation of applications to submit to the Department to apply for SIG funds and the SEAs' posting of the LEAs' applications on the SEAs' Web sites; (2) the reporting of specific school-level data on the use of SIG funds and specific interventions implemented in LEAs receiving SIG funds that the Department currently collects through EDFacts (OMB Control 1875-0240); and (3) the application an LEA must submit to apply to its SEA for SIG funds. The following is a summary of how the final requirements would change these activities and the effect they would have on the total annual approved burden.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, included changes to the SIG requirements that require changes to the current approved data collection. These changes are addressed in these final requirements and allow LEAs to implement additional interventions, provide flexibility for rural LEAs, and extend the grant period from three to five years. The final requirements also reflect lessons learned from four years of SIG implementation. Additionally, the final requirements reflect the fact that, since the original requirements for the SIG program were published in 2010, 44 SEAs received approval to implement ESEA flexibility, pursuant to which they no longer identify Title I schools for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. To reflect this change, the final requirements make an LEA with priority schools, which are generally a State's lowest-achieving Title I schools, and focus schools, which are generally the schools within a State with the largest achievement gaps, eligible to receive SIG funds.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 included changes to the SIG requirements that require changes to the current approved data collection. These changes are addressed in the NPR and NFR and allow LEAs to implement additional interventions, provide flexibility for rural LEAs, and extend the grant period from three to five years. The amendments to the requirements also reflect lessons learned from four years of SIG implementation. Additionally, the amendments reflect the fact that, since the final requirements for the SIG program were published in 2010, 44 SEAs received approval to implement ESEA flexibility, pursuant to which they no longer identify Title I schools for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. To reflect this change, the amended requirements make an LEA with priority schools, which are generally a State's lowest-achieving Title I schools, and focus schools, which are generally the schools within a State with the largest achievement gaps, eligible to receive SIG funds. Under proposed requirement section II.B.1(b), each SEA may submit, as part of the required application it submits to the Department to receive SIG funds, one State-determined intervention model for review and approval by the Secretary. These proposed requirements would require an SEA to submit a proposed State-determined intervention model as part of its application, if a State choses to implement this model. The proposed requirements also make a number of clarifications to the reporting requirements. First, proposed requirement section III.A.3 eliminates the metric for "Truants" and replaces it with "Chronic absenteeism rates." Second, proposed requirement III.A clarifies the correct source for each of the required metrics and removes references to the SFSF previously approved under OMB data collection 1810-0695. Finally, proposed requirements in section III.A.3 would require an SEA to report, with respect to schools receiving SIG awards, the number of schools implementing models with a modified element pursuant to proposed section I.B.6 and which models are being implemented in those schools. There is a program change increase of +3,640 annual burden hours due to new statutory requirements.
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.
SIG Application
1810-0682 SIG_supporting_statement_FINAL 1-27-15.docx
Elementary and Secondary Improvement Formula Grants