[Federal Register: June 16, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 115)] [Notices] [Page 32214-32215] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr16jn99-32] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service's (hereinafter the ``Corporation''), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 ((PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that the requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources), is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments concerning its request for approval of a new information collection from organizations conducting literacy and tutoring activities under the sponsorship of Corporation grants in order to assess the impact of these literacy and tutoring activities on children's reading proficiencies and other related outcomes. This request is a follow-up to the evaluation currently being conducted that describes the Corporation's literacy and tutoring programs. Approval to conduct the descriptive study was granted by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in February, 1999 under the condition that the current outcome study to assess program impact would subsequently be conducted. This form will be used by the Corporation to solicit information regarding the programs' impacts on children's reading skills. Copies of the information collection requests can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 16, 1999. ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Attn: Susan Labin, Office of Evaluation, 1201 New York Avenue, NW, 9th floor, Washington, DC 20525. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Labin, (202) 606-5000, ext. 160. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comment Request The Corporation is particularly interested in comments which: Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Corporation, including whether the information will have practical utility; Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; Propose ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and Propose ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses. Background One of the missions of the Corporation is to ``provide opportunities to engage in service that addresses the nation's unmet educational * * * needs'' (42 U.S.C. 12501(b)). President Clinton's America Reads initiative calls on all Americans to help ensure that every child can read well and independently by the end of the third grade. The Corporation is playing an important role in this initiative by supporting efforts to recruit and train tutors in local communities to work with children to improve their reading skills. The Corporation is dedicating a significant portion of its resources to literacy and tutoring efforts. In addition, the Corporation places a high priority on evaluating the effects of these efforts and thus, is now seeking approval to conduct this new outcome evaluation. Current Action The Corporation seeks approval to conduct an outcome evaluation of the Corporation's literacy and tutoring programs that it supports through grants. The study will provide estimates of the impact on students' (in grades K-3) reading proficiencies and other outcomes as a result of their participation in the literacy and tutoring programs. The study will have two parts: (1) A national study using a representative sample of program students in grades K-3; and (2) three local evaluations of purposively selected programs. The national study will provide important information to the Corporation in the form of generalizations about overall program effects on students' reading skills and about relationships between program characteristics and student effects. The evaluation will be strengthened further by conducting three local evaluations in which appropriate comparison groups will be constructed against which the performance of program students can be compared. Taken together, the national study and the local evaluations, will provide the Corporation with important [[Page 32215]] information about the effects of their literacy and tutoring efforts on children's reading proficiencies. The data to be collected includes: (1) Measures of student reading performance as measured by the standardized reading skills sub-tests; (2) teacher ratings of student classroom behavior (academic motivation and competence, problem behaviors, social skills); (3) tutor perceptions of student academic and social competence; and (4) measures of the school climate within which the literacy and tutoring activities are being conducted. Type of Review: New approval. Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service. Title: Outcome Evaluation of Literacy and Tutoring Programs. OMB Number: None. Agency Number: None. Affected Public: Public school students in grades K-3. Public school teachers in grades K-3. Corporation members (the tutors). Total Respondents: Approximately 3,000 students. Approximately 200 teachers. Approximately 500 Corporation members (tutors). Frequency: Two waves of data collection. Average Time Per Response: Students--40 minutes. Teachers--10 minutes per student. Corporation members (tutors) 10 minutes per student. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 4,200 hours. Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None. Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; these will also become a matter of public record. Dated: June 10, 1999. Thomas L. Bryant, Associate General Counsel. [FR Doc. 99-15284 Filed 6-15-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6050-28-U