### 43031 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 142 / Thursday, July 24, 2014 / Notices

comments during the comment period in this mailbox when the regulations.gov
site is not available. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Director of the
Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Mailstop L–OM–2–2E319, Room 2E103, Washington, DC 20202.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Kashka Kubzdela, 202–502–7411.

**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: Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 (TIMSS:2015) Main Study.

OMB Control Number: 1850–0695. Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals or households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 30,187.

Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 27,301.

Abstract: The Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an
international assessment of fourth and eighth grade students’ achievement in
mathematics and science. Since its inception in 1995, TIMSS has continued to assess students every 4 years (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011). Participation in this study provides data on current and past education policies and a comparison of U.S. education policies with its international counterparts. Periodically, TIMSS has also conducted
an assessment of advanced mathematics and physics of students at the end of secondary school (1995 and 2008). The United States participated in TIMSS Advanced in 1995, but not in 2008. Because of the current strong policy interest in preparedness for college and for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, the U.S. plans to participate in
TIMSS Advanced in 2015. This
submission is for the 2015 TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced main study data collection that will take place in March– May, 2015.

Dated: July 21, 2014.

Kate Mullan, Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division Privacy, Information and Records Management Services Office of Management.

[FR Doc. 2014–17415 Filed 7–23–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4000–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION**

**[Docket No.: ED–2014–ICCD–0075]**

**Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of**  **Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; The**  **Study of Teacher Preparation Experiences and Early Teacher** 
**Effectiveness—Phase II**

**AGENCY :**  Institute of Education Sciences/
National Center for Education Statistics (IES), Department of Education (ED).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq. ), ED is proposing a revision of an existing
information collection.

**DATES :**  Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before August

25, 2014.

**ADDRESSES :**  Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http:// www.regulations.gov by selecting
Docket ID number ED–2014–ICCD–0075 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept

comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted; ED will ONLY accept comments during the comment period in this mailbox when the regulations.gov
site is not available. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Director of the
Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Mailstop L–OM–2–2E319, Room 2E103, Washington, DC 20202.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Melanie Ali,

202–208–7082.

**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: The Study of Teacher Preparation Experiences and Early Teacher Effectiveness—Phase II.

OMB Control Number: 1850–0891. Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments,
Individuals or households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 8,044.

Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 5,608.


### 43032 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 142 / Thursday, July 24, 2014 / Notices

Abstract: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is conducting a study examining the relationship between teacher preparation experiences and early teacher effectiveness (The Study of Teacher Preparation Experiences and Early Teacher Effectiveness, formerly known as The Study of Promising Features of Teacher Preparation Programs). This Information Collection Request (ICR) is the second of two ICRs for the study. The first ICR (Phase I Recruitment) requested clearance for recruitment activities. This second ICR, Phase II Data Collection, requests
clearance for data collection activities (obtaining teacher contact information from districts, collecting data from teachers on preparation experiences via an online teacher survey, and obtaining student data from districts). Data from this study will be used to identify promising preparation experiences.
These results can inform efforts of
stakeholders invested in teacher preparation, including national, state, and local policy makers; teacher preparation programs and certifying institutions; districts; and schools. Policy makers and administrators engaged in teacher preparation and
certification can learn about which preparation experiences are related to
teacher effectiveness. Districts and schools seeking objective information to guide teacher hiring and placement decisions also may find the results
valuable.

Dated: July 21, 2014.

Kate Mullan, Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division Privacy, Information and Records Management Services Office of Management.

[FR Doc. 2014–17414 Filed 7–23–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4000–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION**

**Application for New Awards; Center for the Study of Distance Education and**  **Technological Advancements**

**AGENCY :**  Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

Overview Information

Center for the Study of Distance Education and Technological Advancements: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2014.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA) Number: 84.116Q.

**DATES :**  Applications Available: July 24,

2014. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 25, 2014.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The objective of this program is to support a Center for the Study of Distance Education and Technological Advancements at an institution of higher education as authorized by section 741(a)(3) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended and as described in S. Rpt. 113–71, 113th Cong., 1st Sess. at 196 (2013) to study and develop best practices in postsecondary education for
online education and the use of technology-based teaching and learning
tools. The Center funded under this section must, in collaboration with other institutions of higher education and organizations: (a) Collect and evaluate data on outcomes achieved by students, including students with disabilities, associated with courses or programs that utilize online education and technology-based teaching and learning tools, (b) identify effective and accessible technologies, materials and practices, that work for all students in these courses or programs and (c) disseminate the findings widely.

Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2014 grant competition and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

Competitive Preference Priority—This priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award any application that meets this competitive preference priority an additional two points. Applicants must clearly mark the Abstract and Information page in the application package if they intend to address this competitive preference priority.

Competitive Preference Priority

Projects that will, in collaboration with other institutions of higher education, focus on measuring student outcomes and identifying best practices for competency-based education courses or programs that incorporate online education and technology-based teaching and learning tools.

Note

The Department is using this competitive preference priority to increase the body of research and the information available for best practices on competency-based education (CBE) programs. Because of several features of CBE, postsecondary programs that utilize this approach to teaching and learning have the potential to improveoutcomes for students. A competencybased approach may be able to achieve greater relevance to labor market needs and improved quality as CBE programs
are constructed around a defined set of ‘‘competencies’’ necessary to perform particular functions or sets of tasks and students’ progress by demonstrating these competencies as measured by
assessments. In contrast, most traditional postsecondary programs of study measure student progress based on completion of scheduled time periods and completion of credit or
clock hours.

Many CBE programs allow students to self-pace their progression through a program and incorporate online and other technology-based teaching and learning tools. These programs may make postsecondary education more accessible, particularly for adult learners and those that are employed while in school, because students have a greater ability to learn on their own time and at a place of their choosing.
These flexibilities also have the potential to make postsecondary education more affordable by reducing time to degree and reliance on the costly
infrastructure of traditional postsecondary institutions and the programs they offer.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, and other requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant competition for the Center for the Study of Distance Education and Technological Advancements program under section 741(a)(3) and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the priorities, definitions, and requirements under section 437(d)(1) of the HEA and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the priority under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The priority will apply to the 2014 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.