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 âequitable accessâ and âequitable participationâ 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.