[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3047 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3047

 To provide for the coordination of the Nation's science, technology, 
          engineering, and mathematics education initiatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2008

 Mr. Reid (for Mr. Obama (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. 
    Brown)) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the coordination of the Nation's science, technology, 
          engineering, and mathematics education initiatives.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to coordinate Federal science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics education efforts and foster 
cooperation between the States and Federal Government by--
            (1) improving coherence of Federal STEM education programs 
        through the President's Office of Science and Technology 
        Policy;
            (2) coordinating STEM education initiatives at the 
        Department of Education;
            (3) providing an incentive to States to align STEM 
        education; and
            (4) improving the dissemination of STEM education research, 
        promising practices, and exemplary programs through the 
        National STEM Education Research Repository.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) To preserve the competitiveness of the United States in 
        the global economy our Nation must continue to combine 
        innovation with technological advances and scientific 
        discovery.
            (2) In 2006, the Committee on Science, Engineering, and 
        Public Policy of the National Academies published ``Rising 
        Above the Gathering Storm'' estimating that in the United 
        States innovations generated by STEM fields account for more 
        than half of the growth in gross domestic product (GDP).
            (3) According to the analysis conducted by the Association 
        of American Universities in 2006, only 15 percent of college 
        graduates receive a diploma in engineering or the natural 
        sciences in the United States as compared with 38 percent in 
        South Korea, 47 percent in France, and 67 percent in Singapore.
            (4) Every student deserves the opportunity to contribute to 
        the long-term prosperity of the United States by acquiring 
        skills that foster critical thinking, inventiveness, and 
        innovation.
            (5) Highly qualified teachers are crucial to instilling 
        students with the values and skills necessary to preserve and 
        improve innovation in the United States and maintain our 
        Nation's leadership in the global knowledge economy.
            (6) Teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher 
        education will enhance the preparation they provide by 
        incorporating promising practices and exemplary programs that 
        foster student learning, problem solving skills, and 
        inventiveness and by aligning STEM education preservice and in-
        service training among States.
            (7) Women and minorities in the United States are not 
        employed in STEM occupations in proportion to their numbers in 
        the population or their enrollment in higher education; efforts 
        must be made to increase diversity in the STEM workforce to 
        improve the range of viewpoints and solutions available to 
        address challenges presented by a diverse and global 
        marketplace.
            (8) Many of the Federal agencies have well established 
        programs designed to support and improve STEM education 
        including the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of 
        Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, 
        Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of 
        Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, the 
        National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology.
            (9) According to the Academic Competitiveness Council's 
        (ACC) recent report, in 2006 the United States sponsored 105 
        STEM education programs at a dozen different Federal agencies. 
        These programs devoted approximately $3,120,000,000 to STEM 
        education activities spanning kindergarten through postgraduate 
        education and outreach. It was shown that many of these Federal 
        agencies do not share information or work collaboratively on 
        similar programs. The ACC found that ``coordination among 
        agencies could be improved to avoid, for example, grants to 
        numerous projects that support the same sorts of interventions 
        . . . there appears to be a lack of communication among the 
        agencies about the work they are funding and the results that 
        are being generated . . . agencies are often uninformed by the 
        results of earlier projects.''.
            (10) Strengthening partnerships between the Federal and 
        State governments, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, 
        and the education community will improve STEM education in our 
        Nation's schools.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Federal agencies.--The term ``Federal agencies'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                    (B) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (C) the Department of Commerce;
                    (D) the Department of Defense;
                    (E) the Department of Education;
                    (F) the Department of Energy;
                    (G) the Department of Health and Human Services;
                    (H) the Department of Labor;
                    (I) the Department of the Interior;
                    (J) the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration;
                    (K) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
                    (L) the National Science Foundation;
                    (M) the National Institutes of Health;
                    (N) the National Institute of Standards and 
                Technology; and
                    (O) other agencies of the Federal Government that 
                administer or provide funding for STEM education 
                programs.
            (2) NSERR.--The term ``NSERR'' means the National STEM 
        Education Research Repository established under section 8.
            (3) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, 
              ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION.

    (a) Establishment of Committee.--The President shall establish a 
Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
Education within the National Science and Technology Council, which may 
be referred to as the ``Committee on STEM Education''.
    (b) Function.--
            (1) In general.--The function of the Committee on STEM 
        Education shall be to coordinate the efforts of the Federal 
        agencies that relate to STEM education from the prekindergarten 
        level through the graduate level to avoid unnecessary 
        duplication and ensure coherence among Federal STEM education 
        programs.
            (2) Increasing participation of minorities, persons with 
        disabilities, and women.--The Committee on STEM Education shall 
        seek to improve the quality and quantity of the STEM workforce 
        with consideration of increasing participation of individuals 
        identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering 
        Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
            (3) Coordination.--The President shall ensure that all 
        efforts to coordinate the efforts of the Federal agencies that 
        relate to STEM education are coordinated through the Committee 
        on STEM Education.
    (c) Structure and Operation.--
            (1) Membership.--The membership of the Committee on STEM 
        Education--
                    (A) shall include not less than 1 representative 
                from each of the Federal agencies; and
                    (B) may include outside experts.
            (2) Meetings.--The Committee on STEM Education shall 
        convene not less often than quarterly.
            (3) Staff.--The Committee on STEM Education shall be served 
        by--
                    (A) an Assistant Director selected by the members 
                of the Committee with the approval of the Director of 
                the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
                    (B) a professional staff of not less than 2 
                individuals.
    (d) Responsibilities.--The Committee on STEM Education shall have 
the following responsibilities:
            (1) Conducting an ongoing inventory and assessment of the 
        effectiveness and coherence of efforts within Federal agencies 
        that relate to STEM education.
            (2) Coordinating and facilitating the communication and 
        cooperation among all Federal agencies engaged in efforts that 
        relate to STEM education.
            (3) Developing annual goals and objectives for improving 
        STEM education throughout the Nation in collaboration with 
        relevant organizations.
            (4) Not later than 30 days after developing the goals and 
        objectives under paragraph (3)--
                    (A) disseminating the goals and objectives to each 
                Federal agency engaged in efforts that relate to STEM 
                education;
                    (B) communicating the goals and objectives to the 
                Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
                the Senate, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on 
                Education and Labor of the House of Representatives, 
                and the Committee on Science and Technology of the 
                House of Representatives, and relevant STEM education 
                organizations; and
                    (C) making the goals and objectives widely 
                available to the public, particularly to stakeholders 
                that represent individuals identified in section 33 or 
                34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
            (5) Annually evaluating the progress and success of each 
        Federal agency at achieving the goals and objectives under 
        paragraph (3).
            (6) Consulting with the State Consortium on STEM Education 
        when developing Federal STEM education policy and budgets.
            (7) Proposing a coordinated interagency budget for STEM 
        Education to the Office of Management and Budget aligned with 
        the goals developed under paragraph (3).
            (8) Strengthening partnerships between the STEM education 
        community, Federal, State, and local governments, and other 
        countries.
            (9) Implementing the program for Semiannual Science, 
        Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Days as set forth in 
        section 1004 of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69).
            (10) Hosting an annual meeting on the status of STEM 
        education, including the role of education in meeting the 
        recommendations of the report submitted by the National Science 
        and Technology Summit in section 1001 of the America COMPETES 
        Act (Public Law 110-69) in conjunction with--
                    (A) the State Consortium on STEM Education;
                    (B) the Federal agencies;
                    (C) States, including the District of Columbia, the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the 
                Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the 
                United States Virgin Islands, and any other territory 
                or possession of the United States;
                    (D) businesses and industries;
                    (E) institutions of higher education;
                    (F) STEM education professions and teachers from 
                prekindergarten through postbaccalaureate study; and
                    (G) other relevant stakeholders in STEM education, 
                including stakeholders that represent individuals 
                identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and 
                Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
                1885b).
            (11) Issuing a biennial report to the Nation on the status 
        of STEM education that--
                    (A) specifies the efforts and outcomes of each 
                Federal agency in improving STEM education; and
                    (B) contains an analysis of the quality, scale, and 
                effectiveness of the efforts of the Federal Government 
                relating to improving STEM education and increasing 
                participation of individuals identified in section 33 
                or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
                Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
            (12) Developing, in consultation with the Secretary of 
        Labor, business and industry partners and other appropriate 
        entities, a 5-year projection of the STEM workforce, including 
        a demographic breakdown of individuals identified in section 33 
        or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
    (e) Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), but 
        notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person shall not 
        be eligible to receive a grant from any Federal agency for a 
        project that relates to STEM education research unless the 
        person demonstrates that all reports, proceedings, data sets, 
        online modules, and other products of the project will be 
        submitted by their authors for consideration to be included in 
        the NSERR.
            (2) Copyright.--The Committee on STEM Education and the 
        NSERR shall implement the public access policy under paragraph 
        (1) in a manner consistent with copyright law.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $650,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and each of the succeeding fiscal years.

SEC. 6. OFFICE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS 
              EDUCATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

    (a) Assistant Secretary.--Section 202(b)(1) of the Department of 
Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3412(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (E) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (G); 
        and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
                    ``(F) an Assistant Secretary for Science, 
                Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (who 
                may be referred to as the Assistant Secretary for STEM 
                Education); and''.
    (b) Office.--Title II of the Department of Education Organization 
Act (20 U.S.C. 3411 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 221. OFFICE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS 
              EDUCATION.

    ``(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (which may 
be referred to as the `Office of STEM Education'), to be administered 
by the Assistant Secretary for STEM Education appointed under section 
202(b).
    ``(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for STEM 
Education, acting through the Office of STEM Education, shall have the 
following responsibilities:
            ``(1) Coordinating and overseeing all science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this section as 
        `STEM') education efforts within the Department.
            ``(2) Preparing the annual budget for all STEM education 
        programs within the Department.
            ``(3) Managing the following programs: Math and Science 
        Partnerships, Math Now, Math Skills for Secondary Students, 
        Minority Science and Engineering Improvement, Teachers for a 
        Competitive Tomorrow, and all other programs of the Department 
        with a focus on STEM education, including, where appropriate, 
        the National Science and Mathematics Access Retain Talent 
        (SMART grants) program, the Teacher Education Assistance for 
        College and Higher Education (TEACH grants) program, and the 
        Academic Competitiveness grants program.
            ``(4) Consulting with other offices within the Department 
        that have a STEM education focus, including those managing the 
        Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education grants.
            ``(5) Representing the Department as the principal 
        interagency liaison on the Committee on STEM Education within 
        the Office of Science and Technology Policy, established under 
        section 5 of the Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, 
        and Mathematics Education Act of 2008, unless otherwise 
        designated by the Assistant Secretary for STEM Education.
            ``(6) Ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for 
        every individual so as to increase, to the maximum extent 
        possible, the participation and advancement of individuals 
        identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering 
        Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in the STEM 
        disciplines.
            ``(7) Promoting the development and implementation of 
        quality, scientifically-valid STEM teacher preparation and 
        teacher professional development, and to provide technical 
        assistance to support STEM learning.
            ``(8) Providing support to institutions of higher education 
        and other institutions and organizations with effective 
        informal STEM education programs to improve teacher preparation 
        and teacher professional development by ensuring emphasis on 
        promising practices and exemplary programs in STEM education.
            ``(9) Providing support to local educational agencies or to 
        mathematics and science partnerships involving local 
        educational agencies, to implement effective STEM education 
        instruction and exemplary programs that employ promising 
        practices.
            ``(10) Consulting regularly with the State Consortium on 
        STEM Education with regard to developing STEM education policy 
        and providing technical support.
            ``(11) Conducting a biennial symposium with invited 
        stakeholders emphasizing engaging students that are identified 
        in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
        Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in STEM 
        disciplines, including--
                    ``(A) expert STEM teachers;
                    ``(B) the State Consortium on STEM Education and 
                additional States;
                    ``(C) business and industry partners;
                    ``(D) institutions of higher education;
                    ``(E) institutions and organizations with an 
                informal STEM education focus; and
                    ``(F) Federal agencies with STEM education 
                programs.
            ``(12) Providing periodic public statements on the status 
        of STEM education in the Nation.
            ``(13) Informing the Secretary, policymakers, the 
        professional societies of STEM teaching professionals, and STEM 
        practitioners about the effectiveness of STEM-related education 
        research and programs operated within the Department.
            ``(14) Sharing scientifically-valid education research and 
        promising practices and exemplary programs with the National 
        STEM Education Research Repository.''.
    (c) Evaluation and Report.--The Assistant Secretary for STEM 
Education shall conduct an annual independent evaluation, through grant 
or by contract, of the STEM education programs administered by the 
Department of Education, which shall include--
            (1) conducting an assessment of STEM education activities 
        within the Department of Education by using the annual 
        evaluations and reports of the programs to determine the 
        programs' impact on--
                    (A) the quantity of students seeking STEM degrees, 
                disaggregated by subject area and individuals 
                identified under section 33 or 34 of the Science and 
                Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
                1885b);
                    (B) student academic achievement with consideration 
                of problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, 
                and other higher order thinking skills;
                    (C) improving STEM teacher quality, quantity, and 
                retention; and
                    (D) improving promising teaching practices that 
                show evidence of fostering student innovation; and
            (2) the preparation and submission of an annual report on 
        the results of the assessment described in paragraph (1) to the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
        Senate, the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the 
        House of Representatives, the Committee on Education and Labor 
        of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Science 
        and Technology of the House of Representatives.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 7. STATE CONSORTIUM ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND 
              MATHEMATICS EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--From amounts made available to carry out this 
section, the Secretary of Education, acting through the Office of STEM 
Education, shall award a grant to establish 1 voluntary State 
Consortium on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
Education, which may be referred to as the ``State Consortium on STEM 
Education''.
    (b) Eligibility Requirement.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, the consortium shall include not less than 5 States 
representing not less than 5 of the 9 regional divisions of the United 
States, according to the regional divisions used by the Bureau of the 
Census.
    (c) Peer Review and Selection of Grant Recipient.--The Secretary of 
Education shall--
            (1) establish a peer-review process to assist in the review 
        and approval of a grant proposal submitted under this section;
            (2) appoint individuals to participate in the peer-review 
        process who are educators and experts in identifying, 
        evaluating, and implementing effective STEM education programs 
        and practices, including areas of teaching and learning, 
        educational standards and assessments, professional 
        development, curriculum, and increasing the participation of 
        individuals identified under section 33 or 34 of the Science 
        and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
        1885b), English language learners, and students with 
        disabilities, including recognized exemplary teachers and 
        school administrators who have been recognized at the national 
        or State level for exemplary work or contributions to the STEM 
        education field;
            (3) approve 1 grant from the proposals submitted under this 
        section not later than 120 days after the deadline for 
        submission and acceptance of the proposals, as determined by 
        the Secretary, unless the Secretary determines that none of the 
        grant proposals submitted meet the requirements of this 
        section;
            (4) if only 1 grant proposal is submitted pursuant to this 
        section, not decline to approve the grant proposal before--
                    (A) offering the applicant an opportunity to revise 
                the proposal of the applicant if the proposal does not 
                meet the requirements of this section; and
                    (B) providing the applicant with technical 
                assistance in order to submit a successful proposal; 
                and
            (5) direct the Inspector General of the Department of 
        Education to--
                    (A) review--
                            (i) the process used for screening the 
                        individuals appointed to the peer-review 
                        process under this section to avoid both 
                        financial conflicts of interest and non-
                        financial interests that would impair 
                        objectivity in peer review; and
                            (ii) the objectivity of the process used in 
                        reviewing and awarding the grant under this 
                        section; and
                    (B) report the findings of the review under 
                subparagraph (A) to Congress.
    (d) Amount of Grant.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided under paragraph (2), 
        the grant awarded to the consortium under this section shall be 
        not more than $20,000,000.
            (2) Additional funds.--For each fiscal year of the grant 
        period, the Secretary of Education shall award to the 
        consortium awarded a grant under this section $2,000,000 for 
        each additional State that is a member of the consortium beyond 
        the minimum 5 States required under subsection (b).
    (e) Use of Grant Funds.--The consortium shall use the grant funds 
awarded under this section for the following purposes:
            (1) To establish the State Consortium on STEM Education.
            (2) To convene an Interstate Council on Science, 
        Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education, which may 
        be referred to as the ``Interstate Council on STEM Education'', 
        that includes a diverse group of individuals representing a 
        variety of perspectives on STEM education, the STEM 
        disciplines, business, curriculum, assessments, English 
        language learners, and special education, including the 
        following:
                    (A) Representatives from States that shall include 
                not less 1 State Governor, 1 Chief State School 
                Officer, and 1 representative of a State educational 
                agency or such agency's designee.
                    (B) Representatives from local educational agencies 
                that shall include not less than 1 current school 
                administrator, and 3 expert STEM educators that 
                represent early childhood, elementary, middle, and 
                secondary school perspectives.
                    (C) Not less than 4 representatives from STEM 
                education and the STEM fields at institutions of higher 
                education that include community colleges, and public 
                and private 4-year institutions of higher education.
                    (D) Not less than 1 representative from a STEM 
                education professional organization, such as the 
                National Science Teachers Association, the National 
                Council for Teachers of Mathematics, or those 
                representing career and technical education 
                organizations that represent underrepresented 
                communities in STEM.
                    (E) Not less than 1 representative from each of the 
                following categories of relevant STEM related 
                organizations:
                            (i) Informal STEM education.
                            (ii) Business and industry.
                            (iii) A STEM disciplinary or professional 
                        society.
                            (iv) A private or corporate foundation.
                            (v) Other relevant organizations.
            (3) To support not less than 1 full-time staff member for 
        each State.
            (4) To share STEM education research, promising practices 
        and exemplary programs, and programs through the NSERR.
    (f) Functions.--The State Consortium on STEM Education--
            (1) shall--
                    (A) establish small working groups comprised of 
                members of the State Council on STEM Education and 
                outside experts in appropriate fields consulting widely 
                to address the functions outlined in this subsection;
                    (B) identify points of weakness and strength in the 
                STEM education efforts, prioritize strategies for 
                addressing problem areas, and communicate State needs 
                to the Committee on STEM Education and the Assistant 
                Secretary for STEM Education;
                    (C) develop rigorous common content standards in 
                STEM education for prekindergarten through grade 12 
                reflecting common elements between disciplines with 
                consideration of--
                            (i) established international standards and 
                        21st century skills; and
                            (ii) the needs of English language learners 
                        and special education students;
                    (D) develop and implement strategies to integrate 
                STEM education into other subject areas, such as 
                language arts, social studies, physical and health 
                education, music and other performing arts, and 
                environmental education;
                    (E) develop innovative STEM assessment practices 
                that include a substantial proportion of extended 
                constructed response items, such as performance-based 
                measures, that measure higher order thinking skills and 
                understanding, application and transferability 
                knowledge, problemsolving, analysis, and synthesis, and 
                include administration through a variety of modalities, 
                such as audio-visual and interactive technology;
                    (F) develop strategies to increase the 
                participation and success of individuals identified in 
                section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
                Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in STEM 
                fields with consideration of first generation students;
                    (G) identify and utilize, to the maximum extent 
                possible, the expertise and resources of educators, 
                institutions of higher education, business and 
                industry, and Federal agencies in the development and 
                implementation of functions outlined in this 
                subsection;
                    (H) issue periodic reports on the status of STEM 
                education in the States; and
                    (I) make STEM education research, promising 
                practices and exemplary programs, and effective STEM 
                programs widely available through the NSERR; and
            (2) may--
                    (A) establish and strengthen partnerships between 
                2-year institutions of higher education and minority 
                serving institutions and research institutions to 
                provide STEM students at 2-year institutions of higher 
                education and minority serving institutions expanded 
                degree possibilities and opportunities to access 
                research facilities and mentors, including--
                            (i) conducting a needs assessment of how to 
                        enhance the flow of STEM students from 2-year 
                        institutions of higher education and minority 
                        serving institutions to research institutions; 
                        and
                            (ii) establishing articulation agreements 
                        that shall address pathways and credit 
                        transfers between the institutions;
                    (B) improve and align STEM preservice teacher 
                training among the member States, including developing 
                common--
                            (i) STEM preservice teacher training degree 
                        programs;
                            (ii) STEM teacher credentials; and
                            (iii) alternative pathways to STEM teacher 
                        certification;
                    (C) promote and develop curriculum tools and 
                professional development for in-service teachers that 
                foster innovation and inventiveness;
                    (D) evaluate the impact that STEM education 
                professional development organizations have on 
                classroom instruction and student learning in member 
                States;
                    (E) provide technical support to States that are 
                members of the Consortium to establish or strengthen 
                existing P-16 or P-20 Councils and to align secondary 
                school graduation requirements with the demands of 21st 
                century postsecondary education endeavors and support 
                P-16 education data systems established by States under 
                section 6401 of the America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 
                9871);
                    (F) develop STEM Career Awareness Programs in 
                collaboration with school guidance counselors that 
                reflect the projected STEM workforce needs of the 21st 
                century that may include mentoring programs and STEM 
                professional outreach; and
                    (G) develop STEM-related workforce education and 
                training programs to enhance the skills of workers to 
                meet the needs of business and industry.
    (g) Outside Funds.--The State Consortium on STEM Education shall be 
permitted to accept and solicit outside funds.
    (h) Evaluation and Report.--The State Consortium on STEM Education 
shall conduct an annual independent evaluation, by grant or by 
contract, of the State Consortium on STEM Education's effectiveness at 
accomplishing the functions outlined in subsection (f), which shall 
include--
            (1) an assessment of the impact of such activities on STEM 
        teaching and learning; and
            (2) the preparation and submission of an annual report on 
        the results of the assessment described in paragraph (1) to the 
        Assistant Secretary for STEM Education.
    (i) Prohibitions.--
            (1) In general.--In implementing this section, the 
        Secretary may not--
                    (A) endorse, approve, or sanction any STEM 
                curriculum designed for use in any school; or
                    (B) engage in oversight, technical assistance, or 
                activities that will require the adoption of a specific 
                STEM program or instructional materials by a State, 
                local educational agency, or school.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH REPOSITORY.

    (a) In General.--From amounts made available to carry out this 
section, the Secretary of Education, acting through the Office of STEM 
Education, shall make a grant to the National Science Digital Library 
for use by the Library to establish a National STEM Education Research 
Repository, which may be referred to as the ``NSERR'', to coordinate 
and organize scientifically-valid STEM education research, and STEM 
education programs that demonstrate promising practices and exemplary 
programs, among governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
    (b) Use of Grant Amounts.--The recipient of the grant under 
subsection (a) shall use the grant to provide basic operational support 
to the NSERR, including content development and maintenance, office 
space, equipment, personnel, and other operational costs.
    (c) Responsibilities.--The NSERR shall have the following 
responsibilities:
            (1) Integrating existing STEM education collections, 
        teacher professional development opportunities, and student 
        programs available through the Federal agencies, including the 
        Science Education Resource Center, Research from Institutions 
        of Higher Education, Regional Education Centers (labs, 
        comprehensive centers, and technical assistance centers), 
        Applied Math and Science Repository, Education Resources 
        Information Center (ERIC), State initiatives, national experts, 
        and others.
            (2) Developing criteria for STEM education research and 
        promising practices and exemplary programs, in collaboration 
        with relevant STEM education experts, for inclusion in the 
        NSERR.
            (3) Publishing, not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the criteria developed under paragraph 
        (2).
            (4) Ensuring that STEM education research, promising 
        practices, and exemplary programs have been evaluated by 
        experts, and that those meeting the established minimum 
        criteria in paragraph (2) are made widely available.
            (5) Providing summaries of STEM education research and 
        promising practices and exemplary programs that were submitted 
        and evaluated under paragraph (4), including providing contact 
        information, examples of successful implementation, and other 
        information that may be beneficial to educators.
    (d) Outside Funds.--The NSERR shall be permitted to accept and 
solicit outside funds.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.
                                 <all>