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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 3188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00569]

[[Page 3188]]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0132]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; National Evaluation of the Pathways to Partnerships Program 
(84.421E)

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
(OSERS), 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 
February 13, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice. Click on this link www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain to access the site. Find this information collection request 
(ICR) by selecting ``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under 
Review,'' then check the ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox. 
Reginfo.gov provides two links to view documents related to this 
information collection request. Information collection forms and 
instructions may be found by clicking on the ``View Information 
Collection (IC) List'' link. Supporting statements and other supporting 
documentation may be found by clicking on the ``View Supporting 
Statement and Other Documents'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Diandrea Bailey, (202) 987-0126.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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: National Evaluation of the Pathways to 
Partnerships Program (84.421E).
    OMB Control Number: 1820-NEW.
    Type of Review: New ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individual or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 17,137.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 4,674.
    Abstract: The U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation 
Services Administration (RSA) requests clearance for new data 
collection activities to support the evaluation of the 84.421E Federal 
fiscal year (FFY) 2023 Disability Innovation Fund (DIF), Pathways to 
Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project. The purpose of the 
DIF, as provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 
117-103), is to support innovative activities aimed at increasing 
competitive integrated employment as defined in section 7 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) (29 U.S.C. 705(5)) for 
children, youth, and other individuals with disabilities. The program 
aims to create systematic and seamless approaches to offering 
transition services to children with disabilities, ages 10-13 and youth 
with disabilities ages 14 to 24 through collaborations among State 
vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, State education agencies 
(SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), Federally funded Centers for 
Independent Living (CILs), and other organizations offering services to 
this population. RSA is investing a total of $198,975,322 in grant 
funding to the 20 States through the FFY 2023 DIF. This request covers 
primary data collection activities for the National Evaluation of the 
Pathways to Partnerships Program. These activities include the 
following:

[cir] Surveys and interviews with program participants or their parent 
or guardian
[cir] Surveys with State VR, SEA, and CIL directors
[cir] Surveys and interviews with project staff
[cir] Collecting project administrative data (staff rosters, cost 
worksheets, and web analytics) from project directors

    In September 2023, RSA awarded five-year cooperative agreements for 
the 84.421E FFY 2023 DIF model demonstration projects. The awards 
provide 20 State VR agencies or SEAs with funding to implement Pathways 
to Partnerships model demonstration projects. The Pathways to 
Partnerships models vary across the 20 projects, but the projects' 
purpose is to create and implement systematic approaches to delivering 
transition services to children and youth with disabilities. The 
approaches must entail establishing close partnerships across key 
agencies to deliver these services in ways likely to improve the 
education and employment outcomes of children and youth with 
disabilities.

    Dated: January 8, 2025.
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. 2025-00569 Filed 1-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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