60D Comment Response

Paperwork Reduction Act Submission Supporting Statement

ESEA Consolidated State Plan

October 2020

Response to Public Comments

The Department of Education (ED) solicited comments on an existing collection, currently approved by OMB under control number 1810–0576, that covers the consolidated State plan (previously known as the consolidated State application), as well as assessment peer review guidance. Section 8302 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), permits each SEA, in consultation with the Governor, to apply for program funds through submission of a consolidated State plan (in lieu of individual program State plans). The purpose of consolidated State plans as defined in ESEA is to improve teaching and learning by encouraging greater cross-program coordination, planning, and service delivery; to enhance program integration; and to provide greater flexibility and less burden for State educational agencies. This is a request for extension without change for this collection.

public comments and responses

1. Addition of new reporting requirement

Comments:

One commenter requested that the Department add a reporting requirement regarding the optional leadership set aside in Title II, Part A.

Response:

The Department agrees with the commenter that great leadership is essential to address the urgent challenges facings our schools to ensure all students have the opportunity for a fair and equitable education. However, because this is an extension of an existing collection of previously approved ESEA consolidated State plans, the Department does not intend to collect any new information from States. Rather, this collection allows States to amend previously approved ESEA consolidated State plans to best meet the needs of their students and to meet the requirements of assessment peer review. States are still permitted to use the optional set-aside under ESEA section 2101(c)(3).

The commenter should also be aware that the Department is currently collecting information from States on an annual basis about whether they are making use of the optional reservation authorized by ESEA section 2101(c)(3). This information collection is done outside of the consolidated State plan process. Each State educational agency (SEA) is required to complete an annual survey that details how the SEA uses Title II, Part A funds that remain at the State level; SEAs complete this survey as their means of satisfying the Title II, Part A statutory reporting requirements in ESEA section 2104. One of the questions on this survey asks SEAs to indicate whether they are making use of the optional set-aside, and if so, how much money they are reserving for that purpose. While the survey does not ask for extensive information on the specific activities the SEA funds with the reserved funds, the SEA survey does provide annually updated information about which States are using the optional reservation. Reports on the results of surveys conducted in school years 2018-2019 through 2021-2022 are available on the Title II, Part A program web page: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/school-support-and-accountability/instruction-state-grants-title-ii-part-a/resources/. In school year 2021-2022, the most recent year for which survey data are currently available, 25 States indicated that they were making use of the optional reservation.

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