EDFacts is a U.S. Department of Education (ED) initiative to collect, analyze, report on and promote the use of high-quality, pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (pre-Kâ12) performance data for use in education planning, policymaking, and management and budget decision making to improve outcomes for students. EDFacts enables the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to report on students, schools, staff, services, and education outcomes at the state, district, and school levels, by centralizing data provided by state education agencies, local education agencies, and schools. This centralized approach provides ED users with the ability to efficiently analyze and report on submitted data and has reduced the reporting burden for state and local data producers through the use of streamlined data collection, analysis, and reporting tools. EDFacts collects information on behalf of ED grant and program offices for approximately 180 data groups for all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and seven outlying areas and freely associated states (American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). NCES seeks authorization from OMB to continue its EDFacts data collection and is requesting a new clearance for the 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 school years in order to continue to provide EDFacts data to Department of Education program offices, as well as SEAs, LEAs, and schools. In response to the 60-day public comment period announced in the Federal Register on July 9, 2015, ED received 52 comments from 49 commenters. A summary of the comments and EDâs responses are provided in Attachment F. This notice announces that the revised collection package is now available for a 30-day public comment period. This submission includes a few proposed changes to the EDFacts data collection. In addition to reviewing the proposed changes (detailed in Attachment C and the B Attachments), ED requests that SEAs and other stakeholders respond to the directed questions found in Attachment D.
This is a request for clearance for a currently approved collection with revisions. The revisions are described in Attachment C. The apparent increase in respondent burden is due to an adjustment in methodology used to calculate burden hours, where it is estimated that 1 FTE is used per a reporting entity, and to the fact that EDFacts collection will be assigned a new OMB control number specific to IES collections (OMB# 1850-xxxx). However, all hours will be counted as a program change given that ED is requesting a new OMB number for this collection (OMB# 1850-NEW).
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.
Attachment F-3 EDFacts 2016-17 to 2018-19 Response to OMB Questions.docx
EDFacts Data Collection School Years 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19