Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 41 / Thursday, March 4, 2021 / Notices 12663 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

January 15, 2021, we published the 

notice inviting applications (NIA) for 

new awards for the FY 2021 Graduate 

Assistance in Areas of National Need 

competition in the Federal Register (86 

FR 4024). Under the NIA, applications 

were due on March 1, 2021. 

We are reopening this competition for 

eligible applicants in Louisiana, 

Oklahoma, and Texas, for which the 

President has issued a disaster 

declaration, to allow those applicants 

more time to prepare and submit 

applications. For applicants that meet 

the eligibility criteria in this notice, we 

are reopening the competition until 

March 15, 2021. We are also extending 

the intergovernmental review deadline 

until May 25, 2021. 

Eligibility: The reopening of the 

competition in this notice applies to 

eligible applicants under the Graduate 

Assistance in Areas of National Need 

program, Assistance Listing Number 

84.200A, that are located in an area for 

which the President has issued an 

emergency declaration (see 

www.fema.gov/disasters/), in Louisiana 

(FEMA Disaster designation 3556), 

Oklahoma (FEMA Disaster designation 

3555), and Texas (FEMA Disaster 

designation 3554). 

In accordance with the NIA, eligible 

applicants for this competition are: 

(a) Any academic department of an 

institution of higher education (IHE) 

that provides a course of study that— 

(i) Leads to a graduate degree in an 

area of national need; and 

(ii) Has been in existence for at least 

four years at the time of an application 

for a grant under this competition; or 

(b) An academic department of an IHE 

that— 

(i) Satisfies the requirements of 

paragraph (a) of this section; and 

(ii) Submits a joint application with 

one or more eligible non-degree-granting 

institutions that have formal 

arrangements for the support of doctoral 

dissertation research with one or more 

degree-granting institutions. 

Note: All information in the NIA for 

this competition remains the same, 

except for, with respect to eligible 

applicants, the deadline for the 

transmittal of applications and the 

deadline for intergovernmental review. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135– 

1135e. 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Portable Document Format 

(PDF). To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at: www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Tiwanda Burse, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management 

& Planning, Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Delegated authority to perform 

functions and duties of the Assistant 

Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2021–04485 Filed 3–3–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No.: ED–2020–SCC–0182] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Comment Request; 

Higher Education Act (HEA) Title II 

Report Cards on State Teacher 

Credentialing and Preparation 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education (OPE), 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 April 5, 

2021. 

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 information 

collection request by selecting 

‘‘Department of Education’’ under 

‘‘Currently Under Review,’’ then check 

‘‘Only Show ICR for Public Comment’’ 

checkbox. Comments may also be sent 

to ICDocketmgr@ed.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Freddie Cross, 

(202) 453–7224. 

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: Higher Education 

Act (HEA) Title II Report Cards on State 

Teacher Credentialing and Preparation. 

OMB Control Number: 1840–0744. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: State, 

Local, and Tribal Governments; Private 

Sector. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 1,794. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 267,588. 

Abstract: This request is a revision 

that includes COVID–19 guidance and 

to approve the state report card and 

institution and program report cards 

required by the Higher Education Act of 

1965, as amended in 2008 by the Higher 

Education Opportunity Act (HEOA). 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
12664 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 41 / Thursday, March 4, 2021 / Notices 

States must report annually on criteria 

and assessments required for initial 

teacher credentials using a State Report 

Card (SRC), and institutions of higher 

education (IHEs) with teacher 

preparation programs (TPP), and TPPs 

outside of IHEs, must report on key 

program elements on an Institution and 

Program Report Card (IPRC). IHEs and 

TPPs outside of IHEs report annually to 

their states on program elements, 

including program numbers, type, 

enrollment figures, demographics, 

completion rates, goals and assurances 

to the state. States, in turn, must report 

on TPP elements to the Secretary of 

Education in addition to information on 

assessment pass rates, state standards, 

initial credential types and 

requirements, numbers of credentials 

issued, TPP classification as at-risk or 

low-performing. The information from 

states, institutions, and programs is 

published annually in The Secretary’s 

Report to Congress on Teacher Quality. 

The Department plans to use the SRC 

and IPRC current instruments, 

unchanged, for the FY21 through FY23 

data collections, in order to maintain 

continuity in the information available. 

There is no change in burden due to the 

addition of Institutions with Teacher 

Preparation Programs. The Department 

has included additional instruction to 

aid institutions in reporting data that 

may differ from usual data due to 

COVID restrictions. 

Dated: March 1, 2021. 

Kate Mullan, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2021–04489 Filed 3–3–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Withdrawal of Notice Inviting 

Applications and Cancellation of the 

Competition for the Equity Assistance 

Centers Program 

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice; withdrawal. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Education (Department) withdraws the 

notice inviting applications (NIA) and 

cancels the competition for fiscal year 

(FY) 2021 for the Equity Assistance 

Centers (EAC) program under 

Assistance Listing number (ALN) 

84.004D. The Department intends to 

announce a new competition in FY 

2022. 

DATES: The notice published at 86 FR 

2653 on January 13, 2021, is withdrawn 

and the competition canceled as of 

March 4, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed 

Vitelli, U.S. Department of Education, 

400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 

3E106, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: 202–453–6203. Email: 

Edward.Vitelli@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The EAC program is authorized under 

Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 

42 U.S.C. 2000c—2000c–2, 2000c–5, 

and the implementing regulations in 34 

CFR part 270. This program awards 

grants through cooperative agreements 

to operate regional EACs that provide 

technical assistance (including training) 

at the request of school boards and other 

responsible governmental agencies in 

the preparation, adoption, and 

implementation of plans for the 

desegregation of public schools—which 

in this context means plans for equity 

(including desegregation based on race, 

national origin, sex, and religion)—and 

in the development of effective methods 

of coping with special educational 

problems occasioned by desegregation. 

Desegregation assistance, per 34 CFR 

270.4, may include, among other 

activities: (1) Dissemination of 

information regarding effective methods 

of coping with special educational 

problems occasioned by desegregation; 

(2) assistance and advice in coping with 

these problems; and (3) training 

designed to improve the ability of 

teachers, supervisors, counselors, 

parents, community members, 

community organizations, and other 

elementary or secondary school 

personnel to deal effectively with 

special educational problems 

occasioned by desegregation. A project 

must provide technical assistance in all 

four of the desegregation assistance 

areas: Race, sex, national origin, and 

religion desegregation. 

On January 13, 2021, the Department 

published in the Federal Register (86 

FR 2653) an NIA for the FY 2021 EAC 

competition, ALN 84.004D. 

On January 20, 2021, President Joseph 

R. Biden signed Executive Order 13985, 

titled ‘‘Advancing Racial Equity and 

Support for Underserved Communities 

Through the Federal Government.’’ This 

Executive order directed the Federal 

Government to pursue a comprehensive 

approach to advancing equity for all, 

including people of color and others 

who have been historically underserved, 

marginalized, and adversely affected by 

persistent poverty and inequality. 

On January 20, 2021, President Biden 

also signed Executive Order 13988, 

titled ‘‘Preventing and Combating 

Discrimination on the Basis of Gender 

Identity or Sexual Orientation.’’ This 

Executive order directed the Federal 

Government to prevent and combat 

discrimination on the basis of gender 

identity or sexual orientation, and to 

fully enforce laws that prohibit 

discrimination on the basis of gender 

identity or sexual orientation. 

On February 2, 2021, President Biden 

signed Executive Order 14012, titled 

‘‘Restoring Faith in Our Legal 

Immigration Systems and Strengthening 

Integration and Inclusion Efforts for 

New Americans.’’ This Executive order 

directed the Federal Government to 

ensure that laws and policies encourage 

full participation by immigrants, 

including refugees, in our civic life; that 

immigration processes and other 

benefits are delivered effectively and 

efficiently; and that the Federal 

Government eliminates sources of fear 

and other barriers that prevent 

immigrants from accessing government 

services available to them. 

To allow the Department the 

opportunity to consider how best to 

align the EAC program with these 

Executive orders, to the extent 

statutorily permitted, the Department is 

withdrawing the NIA and cancelling 

this competition. The Department will 

propose to extend the project period for 

current grantees to ensure the continuity 

of the important services provided 

under the program. The Department 

intends to announce a new EAC 

competition for five-year grants in FY 

2022. 

Intergovernmental Review 

This program is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document in an accessible format. 

The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES