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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89976-89977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26509]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0139]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest Leading Early Childhood 
Achievement and Development (LEAD) Efficacy Study

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Department is proposing a new information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 13, 2025.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use https://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2024-SCC-0139. 
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, the Department will 
temporarily accept comments at [email protected]. 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 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 Manager of the Strategic 
Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 4C210, 
Washington, DC 20202-1200.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Anousheh Shayestehpour, 202-987-
1148.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department, 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. The Department is soliciting comments on the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 
The Department 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: Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest 
Leading Early Childhood Achievement and Development (LEAD) Efficacy 
Study.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 408.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 260.
    Abstract: The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) would 
like to address disparities in instructional quality by increasing the 
use of research-based early learning practices in PreK and kindergarten 
classrooms. OSDE, Anadarko Public Schools, Shawnee Public Schools, and 
the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest formed the Leading 
Early Childhood Achievement and Development (LEAD) partnership in 
Oklahoma to respond to this need. Since 2023, REL Southwest has 
collaborated with these partners to codevelop, iteratively refine, and 
test a professional learning intervention (referred to as the LEAD 
intervention). The LEAD intervention is designed to complement and 
fully support the use of Oklahoma's Academic Standards and district-
selected curricula. The intervention aims to build school leaders' and 
PreK and kindergarten teachers' knowledge of research-based early 
learning practices--play-based instructional practices and high-quality 
interactions. In addition, the LEAD intervention aims to develop school 
leaders' instructional leadership skills and provide resources to 
support PreK and kindergarten teachers' implementation of research-
based practices. In time, these practices are expected to lead to 
better academic outcomes for students.
    REL Southwest is developing the LEAD intervention through an 
approved Training, Coaching, and Technical Support (TCTS) project. To 
increase the likelihood that the LEAD intervention will achieve its 
intended outcomes, the partnership is also studying the usability, 
feasibility, and acceptability of the core components of the LEAD

[[Page 89977]]

intervention, through two iterations of piloting the LEAD intervention 
across two cohorts: cohort 1 during the 2023/24 school year and cohort 
2 during the 2024/25 school year. To date, the LEAD intervention has 
completed the cohort 1 pilot with two districts and their four schools 
and is conducting the cohort 2 pilot with two districts and their two 
schools.
    REL Southwest is requesting clearance to conduct an efficacy study 
with a third cohort of schools. The study will be conducted in 44 
schools across Oklahoma and will focus on school leaders and preK and 
kindergarten teachers and students. Data collected for this study will 
be used to measure the implementation of the LEAD intervention in 
participating schools and the LEAD intervention's efficacy in improving 
school leaders' and teachers' knowledge of research-based early 
learning practices; teachers' use of play-based learning practices and 
high-quality teacher-student interactions; and students' attendance, 
early academic skills, and skills to support learning. This efficacy 
study will provide evidence on LEAD implementation and its impact on 
educators and preK and kindergarten students in Oklahoma.

    Dated: November 8, 2024.
Juliana Pearson,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2024-26509 Filed 11-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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