> SUPPORTING STATEMENT

A.  JUSTIFICATION

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1.  The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) competitively awards grants to
    local educational agencies (LEAs), State educational agencies
    (SEAs), or partnerships of SEAs, LEAs, and at least one non-profit
    organization. The program is designed to award grants to develop and
    implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation
    systems, based primarily on student achievement, in high-need
    schools. The collection of information is necessary for LEAs, SEAs,
    or partnerships to apply for and receive grants in a manner
    consistent with the statute, which was authorized as part of the FY
    2006 Department of Education Appropriations Act.

> The application form requests programmatic and budgetary information
> needed to evaluate applications based on the provision in the
> authorizing statute and selection criteria as authorized by section
> 75.209 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations
> (EDGAR).
>
> The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S.
> Department of Education is seeking OMB regular clearance process of
> the Teacher Incentive Fund grant application to follow-up an emergency
> clearance in order to allow more than six months to complete the
> competition acitivites.

2.  The information is collected in the form of grant applications
    submitted by LEAs, SEAs, or partnerships that include an LEA or SEA
    and at least one non-profit organization. The Department of
    Education (ED) uses the information in the applications to
    competitively evaluate those grant applications and select grant
    recipients. For applications that are approved for awards, the
    application information also serves as a basis for monitoring
    project performance, based on the project design, objectives,
    evaluation plans and other information described in the grant
    application.

3.  The information is collected through narrative responses to the
    priorities. Respondents will be required to submit their application
    by mail or through Grants.gov by the closing date.

4.  The information is relevant only to grant applications under the
    Teacher Incentive Fund. There is no similar information available in
    other forms, or, as the result of other information collections.
    This information collection does not duplicate any other information
    collection effort.

5.  Small entities are not affected by this program. The respondents are
    LEAs, SEAs, or partnerships that include an LEA or SEA and a
    non-profit organization.

6.  The Teacher Incentive Fund is a discretionary grant program. The
    program could not be implemented without the collection of
    information. The data collection occurs only when applications for
    new grants and the annual performance report is solicited.

7.  Applications submitted by mail are consistent with guidelines in 5
    CFR 1320.5. There is a voluntary option for applicants when applying
    by mail to submit one original and five copies.

8.  Previously the Department requested and received emergency approval
    for this collection, and a Federal Register Notice was published on
    March 29, 2006 seeking public comment.

9.  No payments or gifts to respondents have been made.

10. There is no assurance of confidentiality.

11. There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. A. [Burden hours for respondents]{.underline}

At this present time, the specific number of how many applications the
Department will receive is unknown. Currently, the best estimate is that
the Department will receive 40 applications. The average burden for the
grant application is estimated to be 80 hours, for a total of 3,200
burden-hours.

B. [Cost to Respondents]{.underline}

Primary costs to respondents fall into the following categories:
Preparation of the application and submittal by email and through
Grants.gov. We expect 50 percent of respondents to apply electronically.
Based on the estimate that 40 applications will be submitted, costs to
respondents are estimated to be the following:

40 apps. X 80 hours/application x \$25/hour = \$80,000

20 apps. X 2 hours/application x \$25/hour for

entering into Grants.gov = \$ 1,000

20 apps. X \$5.00/application per mailing = [\$ 100]{.underline}

Total Cost to Respondents = \$81,100

13. There are no costs that (a) meet the criteria for inclusion under
    this item; and (b) have not been addressed in either item #12 or
    #14.

14. Estimated Federal costs:

Program Personnel:

2 persons @ \$30.00/hr. x 80 hours = \$ 4,800

2 person @ \$22.50/hr. x 120 hours = [5,400]{.underline}

Total \$10,200

Anticipated applications reviewed:

40 applications x 3 hours per application for reviewers = 120 hours

Travel for reviewers (25 reviewers x \$700.00) \$ 17,500

Per diem for reviewers (25 reviewers x \$720) \$ 18,000

Honorarium (25 reviewers x \$1000) \$ [25,000]{.underline}

Total \$60,500

We anticipate using non-federal readers.

Printing and mailing of the application package: no costs. The
application package will be available through the Federal Register and
on the Department\'s website.

15. There is no change from the emergency request previously approved on
    April 21, 2006.

16. There are no plans to publish the results of this data collection.

17. No request is being made to not display the expiration date for OMB
    approval of the information collection.

18. There are no exceptions to the referenced certification statement.

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B.  COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.