[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 230 (Monday, November 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76546-76547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26267]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2020-SCC-0155]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and approval; Comment 
Request; Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 
2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) Kindergarten and First-Grade Field Test Data 
Collection, National Sampling, and National Recruitment

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education 
(ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find 
this particular information collection request by selecting 
``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under Review,'' then 
check ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, 202-245-6347.

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: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, 
Kindergarten Class of 2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) Kindergarten and First-
Grade Field Test Data Collection, National Sampling, and National 
Recruitment.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0750.
    Type of Review: A revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households Total 
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 20,895.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 15,510.
    Abstract: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program, 
conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within 
the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of 
Education (ED), draws together information from multiple sources to 
provide rich, descriptive data on child development, early learning, 
and school progress. The ECLS program studies deliver national data on 
children's status at birth and at various points thereafter; children's 
transitions to nonparental care, early care and education programs, and 
school; and children's experiences and growth through the elementary 
grades. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 
2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) is the fourth cohort in the series of early 
childhood longitudinal studies. The study will advance research in 
child development and early learning by providing a detailed and 
comprehensive source of current information on children's early 
learning and development, transitions into kindergarten and beyond, and 
progress through school. The ECLS-K:2023 will provide data about the 
population of children who will be kindergartners in the 2022-23 school 
year, and will go beyond its predecessor kindergarten cohort studies by 
adding a round of data collection in the spring

[[Page 76547]]

prior to children's kindergarten year, known as the ``preschool 
round.'' Collecting parent data beginning in preschool will enable the 
study to measure influences on children's development before entry into 
formal schooling, including children's home environments and access to 
early care and education. The ECLS-K:2023 will focus on children's 
early school experiences continuing through the fifth grade, and will 
include collection of data from parents, teachers, and school 
administrators, as well as direct child assessments. This request is to 
conduct a field test of the ECLS-K:2023 preschool data collection 
activities from January through October 2020, to field test the 
preschool data collection materials and procedures. This ECLS-K:2023 
preschool field test will be followed by the kindergarten-first grade 
field test (planned for August-December 2021), the spring preschool 
national data collection (January-June 2022), and the fall (August-
December 2022) and spring (March-July 2023) kindergarten national data 
collections--which will be requested under separate clearance 
submissions.

    Dated: November 23, 2020.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-26267 Filed 11-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P