02/09/00: Invitation for Comments on Proposed Collection Request [OERI]


[Federal Register: February 9, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 27)]
[Notices]
[Page 6362-6363]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09fe00-37]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Submission of Data by State Educational Agencies

AGENCY:  National Center for Education Statistics, Department of
Education.

ACTION:  Notice of dates of submission of state revenue and expenditure
reports for fiscal year 1999 and of revisions to those reports.

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SUMMARY:  The Secretary of Education announces dates for the submission
by state educational agencies (SEAs) of expenditure and revenue data
and average daily attendance statistics on ED Form 2447 (the National
Public Education Financial Survey) for fiscal year (FY) 1999. The
Secretary sets these dates to ensure that data are available to serve
as the basis for timely distribution of Federal funds. The U.S. Bureau
of the Census is the data collection agent for the Department's
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The data will be
published by NCES and will be used by the Secretary in the calculation
of allocations for FY 2001 appropriated funds.

DATES:  The date on which submissions will first be accepted is March
15, 2000. The mandatory deadline for the final submission of all data,
including any revisions to previously submitted data, is September 5,
2000.

[[Page 6363]]

ADDRESSES:  SEAs may mail ED Form 2447 to: Bureau of the Census,
ATTENTION: Governments Division, Washington, DC 20233-6800.
    Alternatively, SEAs may hand deliver submissions by 4 p.m. (Eastern
Time) to: Governments Division, Bureau of the Census, 8905 Presidential
Parkway, Washington Plaza II, Room 508, Upper Marlboro, MD.
    If an SEA's submission is received by the Bureau of the Census
after September 5, in order for the submission to be accepted, the SEA
must show one of the following as proof that the submission was mailed
on or before the mandatory deadline date:
    1. A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    2. A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
    3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
    4. Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.
    If the SEA mails ED Form 2447 through the U.S. Postal Service, the
Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    1. A private metered postmark.
    2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

    Note:  The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an SEA should check
with its local post office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Lawrence R. MacDonald, Chief,
Bureau of the Census, ATTENTION: Governments Division, Washington, DC
20233-6800. Telephone: (301) 457-1574. If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) 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: Frank Johnson, National Center for Education
Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20208-5651.
Telephone: (202) 219-1618.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Under the authority of section 404(a) of
the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 9003(a)),
which authorizes NCES to gather data on the financing of education,
NCES collects data annually from SEAs through ED Form 2447. The report
from SEAs includes attendance, revenue, and expenditure data from which
NCES determines the average state per pupil expenditure (SPPE) for
elementary and secondary education, as defined in the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 8801(12)).
    In addition to using the SPPE data as useful information on the
financing of elementary and secondary education, the Secretary uses
these data directly in calculating allocations for certain formula
grant programs, including Title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act
of 1994 (Title I), Impact Aid, and Indian Education. Other programs
such as the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Technology Literacy
Challenge Fund, the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
under Title VII of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the
Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program, and the Safe and
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program make use of SPPE data
indirectly because their formulas are based, in whole or in part, on
State Title I allocations.
    In January 2000, the Bureau of the Census, acting as the data
collection agent for NCES, will mail to SEAs ED Form 2447 with
instructions and request that SEAs submit data to the Bureau of the
Census on March 15, 2000, or as soon as possible thereafter. SEAs are
urged to submit accurate and complete data on March 15, or as soon as
possible thereafter, to facilitate timely processing. Submissions by
SEAs to the Bureau of the Census will be checked for accuracy and
returned to each SEA for verification. All data, including any
revisions, must be submitted to the Bureau of the Census by an SEA not
later than September 5, 2000.
    Having accurate and consistent information, on time, is critical to
an efficient and fair allocation process, as well as the NCES
statistical process. To ensure timely distribution of Federal education
funds based on the best, most accurate data available, NCES
establishes, for allocation purposes, September 5, 2000, as the final
date by which ED Form 2447 must be submitted. However, if an SEA
submits revised data after the final deadline that results in a lower
SPPE figure, its allocations may be adjusted downward or the Department
may request the SEA to return funds. SEAs should be aware that all of
these data are subject to audit and that, if any inaccuracies are
discovered in the audit process, the Department may seek recovery of
overpayments for the applicable programs. If an SEA submits revised
data after September 5, the data may also be too late to be included in
the final NCES published dataset.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the 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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html

    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9003(a).

    Dated: February 4, 2000.
C. Kent McGuire,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 00-2948 Filed 2-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P