1.This Act may be cited as
the Enhancing Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of
2008
.
2.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.
3.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.
4.In this Act:
(1)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)The
term NSERR means the National STEM Education Research Repository
established under section 8.
(3)The
term STEM means science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.
5.Establishment of
the committee on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education
(a)Establishment
of committeeThe 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)
(1)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
womenThe 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)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)
(1)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)The
Committee on STEM Education shall convene not less often than quarterly.
(3)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)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)
(1)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)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 appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $650,000 for fiscal year 2009 and each of the succeeding
fiscal years.
6.Office of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education within the
department of education
(a)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)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:
221.Office of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education
(a)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)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)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 appropriationsThere 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.
7.State consortium
on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education
(a)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)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 recipientThe 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)
(1)Except as provided under paragraph (2), the grant awarded
to the consortium under this section shall be not more than $20,000,000.
(2)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)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)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)The State Consortium on STEM Education shall be permitted
to accept and solicit outside funds.
(h)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)
(1)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.
8.National stem
education research repository
(a)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)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)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)The NSERR shall be permitted to accept and solicit outside
funds.
(e)Authorization
of appropriationsThere 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.