Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Impact Evaluation of Training in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Reading in Early Elementary School

AGENCY:

Institute of Educational Science (IES), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision of a currently approved collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2021-SCC-0124. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please include the docket ID number and the title of the information collection request when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the PRA Coordinator of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave SW, LBJ, Room 6W208C, Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Lauren Angelo, 202-245-7474.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Impact Evaluation of Training in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Reading in Early Elementary School.

OMB Control Number: 1850-0953.

Type of Review: A revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households; State, Local, and Tribal Governments Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 24,480.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 5,413.

Abstract: This study will provide much needed evidence on strategies to support US students' development of foundational reading skills, essential to later learning.

A third of US students fail to develop foundational reading skills by 4th grade that are necessary to succeed academically. In addition, the achievement gap is growing as demonstrated by The Nation's Report Card. To address this, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) promotes the use of evidence-based literacy interventions. And, the Department of Education (ED) has made supporting educators with the knowledge, skills, professional development, or materials necessary to improve reading instruction a key priority. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) similarly encourages high quality instruction along with better identification of students needing extra support to prevent or mitigate student reading issues.

This study will provide much needed evidence by evaluating two professional development strategies for bolstering core reading instruction and supplemental supports, guided by data, within a MTSS-R framework. MTSS-R is a widely used framework for providing high-quality reading instruction for all students, identifying students needing supplemental or more intensive supports, and providing these additional supports for those who need it.