On October 20, 1994, the Improving
America's Schools Act, Public Law 103-382(The Act), became law. The
Act added a provision to the General Education Provisions Act
(GEPA). Section 427 of GEPA requires an applicant for assistance
under Department programs to develop and describe in the grant
application the steps it proposes to take to ensure equitable
access to, and equitable participation in, its proposed project for
students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries. Applicants
have responded to the GEPA 427 requirements for approximately the
last 27 years, and the current form expires in June 2023. In
response to the Agency's Equity Plan resulting from the President's
Executive Order 13985, we now propose to update that form by
expanding the number of questions from one to four. These four
questions are intended to help applicants for Department grant
funds to be more intentional and specific as to identifying
barriers to equitable access and how they will address those
barriers consistent with the requirements of section 427 of GEPA.
As with the existing form, applicants retain the flexibility to
determine and define for themselves the barriers to “equitable
access” and “equitable participation” based on the design of their
proposed grant projects and the participants and community the
project proposes to serve.
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.