Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 219 / Tuesday, November 14, 2006 / Notices 66321 

compensation is based primarily on 

student academic achievement. 

(d) Quality of the Management Plan 

and Key Personnel (15 points). 

(1) The adequacy of the management 

plan to achieve the objectives of the 

proposed project on time and within 

budget, including clearly defined 

responsibilities, timelines, milestones, 

and processes for continuous 

improvement to accomplish project 

tasks. 

(2) The qualifications, including 

experience, education, and training of 

proposed key personnel. 

(e) Evaluation (10 points). 

(1) The extent to which the 

applicant’s evaluation plan includes the 

use of objective measures that are 

clearly related to the goals of the project 

to raise student achievement and 

increase teacher effectiveness, including 

the extent to which the evaluation will 

produce quantitative and qualitative 

data. 

(2) The extent to which the applicant 

includes adequate evaluation 

procedures for ensuring feedback and 

continuous improvement in the 

operation of the proposed project. 

(3) The extent to which the applicant 

commits to participating in a rigorous 

national evaluation that will provide a 

common design methodology, data 

collection instruments, and performance 

measures for all grantees funded under 

this competition. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: If your application 

is successful, we notify your U.S. 

Representative and U.S. Senators and 

send you a Grant Award Notification 

(GAN). We may also notify you 

informally. 

If your application is not evaluated or 

not selected for funding, we notify you. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: We identify 

administrative and national policy 

requirements in the application package 

and reference these and other 

requirements in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

We reference the regulations outlining 

the terms and conditions of an award in 

the Applicable Regulations section of 

this notice and include these and other 

specific conditions in the GAN. The 

GAN also incorporates your approved 

application as part of your binding 

commitments under the grant. 

3. Reporting: At the end of the project 

period, recipients must submit a final 

performance report, including financial 

information, as directed by the 

Secretary. If you receive a multi-year 

award, you must submit an annual 

performance report that provides the 

most current performance and financial 

expenditure information as specified by 

the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. 

4. Performance Measures: Pursuant to 

the Government Performance and 

Results Act (GPRA), the Department has 

established the following performance 

measures that it will use to evaluate the 

overall effectiveness of the grantee’s 

project, as well as the TIF program as a 

whole: 

(1) Changes in LEA personnel 

deployment practices, as measured by 

changes over time in the percentage of 

teachers and principals in high-need 

schools who have a record of 

effectiveness; and 

(2) Changes in teacher and principal 

compensation systems in participating 

LEAs, as measured by the percentage of 

a district’s personnel budget that is used 

for performance-related payments to 

effective (as measured by student 

achievement gains) teachers and 

principals. 

All grantees will be expected to 

submit an annual performance report 

documenting their success in addressing 

these performance measures. The 

Department will use the applicant’s 

performance data for program 

management and administration, in 

such areas as determining new and 

continuation funding and planning 

technical assistance. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

April Lee, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

room 3W229, Washington, DC 20202–

6200. Telephone number: (202) 205–

5224 or by e-mail: tif@ed.gov or by 

Internet at the following Web site: 

http://www.ed.gov/programs/ 

teacherincentive/index.html. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), you may call 

the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–

800–877–8339. 

Individuals with disabilities may 

obtain this document in an alternative 

format (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, or computer diskette) on 

request to the individuals listed in this 

section. 

VIII. Other Information 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

You may view this document, as well as 

all other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF) on the Internet at the 

following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/ 

fedregister. 

To use PDF you must have Adobe 

Acrobat Reader, which is available free 

at this site. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–

888–293–6498; or in the Washington, 

DC, area at (202) 512–1530. 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Dated: November 8, 2006. 

Henry L. Johnson, 

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 

Secondary Education. 

[FR Doc. E6–19193 Filed 11–13–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Information Collection; Study of the 

Feasibility and Advisability of 

Establishing a Program of Free Return 

or Reduced Postage for Absentee 

Ballots—Focus Groups 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The EAC, as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent burden in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on a proposed 

information collection. Comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed information collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the information collection on 

respondents. Comments submitted in 

response to this notice will be 

summarized and/or included in the 

request for OMB approval of this 

information collection; they also will 

become a matter of public record. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before January 11, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and 

recommendations on the proposed 

information collection in writing to the 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

1225 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 

1100, Washington, DC 20005, Attn: Ms. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
66322 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 219 / Tuesday, November 14, 2006 / Notices 

Laiza N. Otero (or via the Internet at 

lotero@eac.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on this 

proposed information collection or to 

obtain a copy of the Focus Group 

Discussion Guide, please, write to the 

above address or call Ms. Laiza N. Otero 

at (202) 566–3100. You may also view 

the proposed collection instrument by 

visiting our Web site at http:// 

www.eac.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Study of the Feasibility and 

Advisability of Establishing a Program 

of Free Return or Reduced Postage for 

Absentee Ballots—Focus Groups 

OMB Number: Pending. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Needs and Uses: Sec. 246 of the Help 

America Vote Act requires the Election 

Assistance Commission (EAC), in 

consultation with the United States 

Postal Service, to conduct a study on the 

feasibility and advisability of 

establishing a program under which the 

U.S. Postal Service shall waive or 

otherwise reduce the amount of postage 

applicable with respect to absentee 

ballots returned by voters in general 

elections for Federal office. This study 

does not address the cost to the U.S. 

Postal Service for free postage for 

sending absentee ballots but may 

consider costs to election officials that 

are related to implementing such a 

program including the costs of sending 

absentee ballots to voters. It also does 

not include consideration of the 39 

U.S.C. 3406 provisions for the mailing 

of balloting materials for military and 

overseas absentee voters. As part of the 

study the Commission is directed to 

conduct a nationwide survey of 

potential beneficiaries, including the 

elderly and disabled, and to take into 

account the results of this survey in 

determining the feasibility and 

advisability of establishing such a 

program. This survey will be 

supplemented by focus groups among 

potential beneficiaries—elderly, 

disabled, low-income—to obtain more 

specific information on the challenges 

these populations face when 

participating in election and to assess 

the potential benefit these populations 

might receive from a program of free 

return or reduced postage for absentee 

ballots. 

At the conclusion of the study effort, 

EAC is required to submit a report to 

Congress with recommendations for 

such legislative and administrative 

action as EAC determines appropriate. 

The report shall contain an analysis of 

the feasibility of implementing such a 

program and an estimate of the costs. It 

is required to specifically contain 

recommendations regarding the elderly 

and disabled populations, including 

ways a free absentee ballot return 

postage program would target these 

populations and identify methods to 

increase the number of such individuals 

who vote in elections for Federal office. 

Affected Public: Citizens. 

Number of Respondents: 36. 

Responses per Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Burden per Response: 1.25 

hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 45 hours. 

Information will be collected through 

a series of three focus groups comprised 

of potential beneficiaries of a free and/ 

or discounted absentee ballot postage 

program: One focus group will be 

dedicated to issues confronting the 

elderly population; one focus group will 

be dedicated to issues confronting 

disabled people; and one focus group 

will be dedicated to issues confronting 

the low-income citizens. At least one 

official from the United States Postal 

Service will observe each planned focus 

group. The topics that will be explored 

include: 

1. The challenges that the particular 

population faces when participating in 

elections. 

a. Information on respondents’

previous experiences with voting in 

Federal elections. Information on any 

difficulties encountered in the process 

of voting and how the issues were 

resolved. 

2. The concerns members of the 

particular population have about voting 

(e.g. voter intimidation, voter 

confidentiality, security, use of ballots). 

a. Information on particular incidents 

that has prevented respondent from 

being able to vote. 

3. The possible remedies to those 

challenges that would likely increase 

the rates of voter participation in the 

particular population (e.g. relaxed 

absentee voting laws, better accessibility 

to polling places, voter education). 

a. Information on respondents’

interest in absentee ballot voting. 

4. The likelihood that a free or 

discounted absentee ballot postage 

program would assist the particular 

population. 

a. Information on respondents’

interest in a program of free or 

discounted postage for absentee ballots. 

5. How the program could possibly be 

implemented to target the particular 

population. 

a. Information on creating and 

implementing the program to ensure 

that it benefits the particular 

population. 

6. The factors that would make 

reaching the particular population 

difficult. 

a. Information on advertising such a 

program to the particular population so 

that they can take advantage of the 

change. 

Thomas R. Wilkey, 

Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 06–9191 Filed 11–13–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–KF–M 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings #2 

November 6, 2006. 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric rate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: ER01–205–014; 

ER98–2640–012; ER98–4590–010; 

ER99–1610–018. 

Applicants: Xcel Energy Services Inc.; 

Northern States Power Company; 

Northern States Power Company 

(Wisconsin); Public Service Company of 

Colorado; Southwestern Public Service 

Company. 

Description: Xcel Energy Services Inc. 

on behalf of Northern States Power Co 

submits a change in status report to 

NSP’s market-based rate authority. 

Filed Date: 11/02/2006. 

Accession Number: 20061102–5052. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time 

on Friday, November 24, 2006. 

Docket Numbers: ER03–985–001. 

Applicants: El Cap II, LLC. 

Description: El Cap II, LLC submits its 

Triennial Updated Market Power 

Analysis Report. 

Filed Date: 10/30/2006. 

Accession Number: 20061101–0147. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time 

on Monday, November 20, 2006. 

Docket Numbers: ER06–451–010. 

Applicants: Southwest Power Pool, 

Inc. 

Description: Southwest Power Pool, 

Inc submits revisions to its Open Access 

Transmission Tariff effective 2/1/07. 

Filed Date: 11/02/2006. 

Accession Number: 20061103–0103. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time 

on Friday, November 24, 2006. 

Docket Numbers: ER07–115–000. 

Applicants: ISO New England Inc. 

Description: ISO New England Inc 

submits its 2007 Capital Budget and 

Capital Budget Quarterly Filing for the 

Third Quarter of 2006. 

Filed Date: 10/31/2006. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES