The Department of the Interior and Department of Education developed an American Indian Education Study Group (Study Group) to diagnose the causes of too common academic failure in BIE-funded schools, which are some of the lowest performing schools in the country. The Study Group, which encompasses a combination of management, legal, education, and tribal expertise, was charged with developing and implementing recommendations to transform the BIE.
Based on the recommendations from the Study Group released on June 13, 2014 ("Blueprint for Reform"), BIE developed the Sovereignty in Indian Education Grant which awards competitive grants to tribes and their Tribal Education Departments (TEDs) to promote tribal control and operation of BIE-funded schools on their reservations. The purpose of the grant is to support the TEDs capacity to manage and operate tribally-controlled schools as defined in the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-297). These funds will support the development of an implementation plan for the TEDs to review their infrastructure and determine the most efficient course of action to promote full operation of BIE-funded schools through a single grant, and begin the process of implementation of the tribally approved course of action.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.