[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 716 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 716

    To establish within the Department of Education the Innovation 
       Inspiration school grant program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 4, 2011

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Begich, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Franken, Ms. 
  Klobuchar, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Reid) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish within the Department of Education the Innovation 
       Inspiration school grant program, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Innovation Inspiration School Grant 
Program Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the National Science Board's 2010 Science 
        and Engineering Indicators, only 5 percent of American college 
        graduates major in engineering. In Asia, about 20 percent of 
        all baccalaureate degrees are in engineering and in China about 
        33 percent of baccalaureate degrees are in engineering.
            (2) Although 4th graders in the United States score well 
        against international competition, students in the United 
        States fall near the bottom or dead last by 12th grade in 
        mathematics and science, respectively.
            (3) Admissions requirements for undergraduate engineering 
        schools include a solid background in mathematics (algebra, 
        geometry, trigonometry, and calculus) and science (biology, 
        chemistry, and physics), in addition to courses in English, 
        social studies, and humanities.
            (4) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall 
        engineering employment is expected to grow by 11 percent from 
        2008 through 2018, and, as a group, engineers earn some of the 
        highest average starting salaries among individuals holding 
        baccalaureate degrees.
            (5) According to the Department of Labor, engineers should 
        be creative, inquisitive, analytical, and detail-oriented. 
        Engineers should be able to work as part of a team and to 
        communicate well, both orally and in writing. Communication 
        abilities are becoming increasingly important as engineers 
        interact more frequently with specialists in a wide range of 
        fields outside engineering.
            (6) Exposure to project- and problem-based learning, in a 
        competitive team environment, gives 9th through 12th graders 
        the skills that they need to be successful in engineering 
        programs of study and engineering careers.
            (7) According to Brandeis University's Center for Youth and 
        Communities, participants in FIRST Robotics (a nonprofit 
        organization that inspires young people to be science and 
        technology leaders by engaging the young people in mentor-based 
        programs)--
                    (A) are more likely than nonparticipants to attend 
                an institution of higher education on a full-time basis 
                (88 percent versus 53 percent);
                    (B) are nearly 2 times as likely to major in a 
                science or engineering field; and
                    (C) are more than 3 times as likely to have majored 
                specifically in engineering.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (2) Low-income student.--The term ``low-income student'' 
        means a student who is eligible for free or reduced price lunch 
        under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
            (3) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (5) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering (including robotics), or mathematics.
            (6) Non-traditional stem teaching method.--The term ``non-
        traditional STEM teaching method'' means a STEM education 
        method or strategy such as incorporating self-directed student 
        learning, inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning in small 
        groups, collaboration with mentors in the field of study, and 
        participation in STEM-related competitions.

SEC. 4. INNOVATIVE INSPIRATION SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Goals of Program.--The goals of the Innovation Inspiration 
grant program are--
            (1) to provide opportunities for local educational agencies 
        to support non-traditional STEM education teaching methods;
            (2) to support the participation of students in nonprofit 
        STEM competitions;
            (3) to foster innovation and broaden interest in, and 
        access to, careers in the STEM fields by investing in programs 
        supported by educators and professional mentors who receive 
        hands-on training and ongoing communications that strengthen 
        the interactions of the educators and mentors with--
                    (A) students who are involved in STEM activities; 
                and
                    (B) other students in the STEM classrooms and 
                communities of such educators and mentors; and
            (4) to encourage collaboration among students, engineers, 
        and professional mentors.
    (b) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies 
        to enable the local educational agencies--
                    (A) to promote STEM in secondary schools;
                    (B) to support the participation of secondary 
                school students in non-traditional STEM teaching 
                methods; and
                    (C) to broaden secondary school students' access to 
                careers in STEM.
            (2) Duration.--The Secretary shall award each grant under 
        this Act for a period of not more than 5 years.
            (3) Amounts.--The Secretary shall award a grant under this 
        Act in an amount that is sufficient to carry out the goals of 
        this Act.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each local educational agency desiring a 
        grant under this Act shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
            (2) Contents.--The application shall, at a minimum, include 
        a description of how the local educational agency will--
                    (A) carry out STEM teaching programs that will use 
                a non-traditional STEM teaching method;
                    (B) identify and recruit partners and mentors--
                            (i) to help carry out the programs 
                        described in subparagraph (A); and
                            (ii) to assist students who participate in 
                        such programs, including through technology-
                        supported means;
                    (C) support educators who lead such programs, and 
                participants in such programs, through stipends or 
                other incentives;
                    (D) recruit young women and individuals from 
                populations historically underrepresented in the STEM 
                fields to participate in such programs;
                    (E) identify public and private partners that can 
                support such programs with cash or in-kind 
                contributions;
                    (F) plan for sustaining such programs financially 
                beyond the grant period; and
                    (G) evaluate the grant project and the results of 
                the grant project among participating students, 
                including--
                            (i) comparing students who participate in 
                        the grant project to similar students who do 
                        not participate; and
                            (ii) evaluating--
                                    (I) secondary school graduation 
                                rates;
                                    (II) rates of attendance at 
                                institutions of higher education;
                                    (III) the number of students taking 
                                advanced STEM related secondary school 
                                classes; and
                                    (IV) the ability of students 
                                participating in the grant project to 
                                partner with professional mentors.
            (3) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to applications from local 
        educational agencies that propose to carry out activities that 
        target--
                    (A) a rural or urban school;
                    (B) a low-performing school or local educational 
                agency; or
                    (C) a local educational agency or school that 
                serves low-income students.
    (d) Uses of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Each local educational agency that 
        receives a grant under this Act shall use the grant funds for 
        any of the following:
                    (A) STEM education and career activities.--
                Promotion of STEM education and career activities.
                    (B) Purchase of parts.--The purchase of parts and 
                supplies needed to support participation in non-
                traditional STEM teaching methods.
                    (C) Teacher incentives and stipends.--Incentives 
                and stipends for teachers involved in non-traditional 
                STEM teaching methods outside of their regular teaching 
                duties.
                    (D) Support and expenses.--Support and expenses for 
                student participation in regional and national 
                nonprofit STEM competitions.
                    (E) Additional materials and support.--Additional 
                materials and support, such as equipment, facility use, 
                technology, broadband access, and other expenses, 
                directly associated with non-traditional STEM teaching 
                and mentoring.
                    (F) Evaluation.--Carrying out the evaluation 
                described in subsection (c)(2)(G).
                    (G) Other activities.--Carrying out other 
                activities that are related to the goals of the grant 
                program, as described in subsection (a).
            (2) Prohibition.--A local educational agency shall not use 
        grant funds awarded under this Act to participate in any STEM 
        competition that is not a nonprofit competition.
            (3) Administrative costs.--Each eligible entity that 
        receives a grant under this Act may use not more than 2 percent 
        of the grant funds for costs related to the administration of 
        the grant project.
    (e) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), each local 
        educational agency that receives a grant under this Act shall 
        secure, toward the cost of the activities assisted under the 
        grant, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent 
        of the grant. The non-Federal contribution may be provided in 
        cash or in kind.
            (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive all or part of the 
        matching requirement described in paragraph (1) for a local 
        educational agency if the Secretary determines that applying 
        the matching requirement would result in a serious financial 
        hardship or a financial inability to carry out the goals of the 
        grant project.
    (f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided to a local 
educational agency under this Act shall be used to supplement, and not 
supplant, funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized 
under this Act.
    (g) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall establish an evaluation 
program to determine the efficacy of the grant program established by 
this Act, which shall include comparing students participating in a 
grant project funded under this Act to similar students who do not so 
participate, in order to assess the impact of student participation 
on--
            (1) what courses a student takes in the future; and
            (2) a student's postsecondary study.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for each of 
        the fiscal years 2012 through 2016.
            (2) Limitations.--Of the amounts appropriated under 
        paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, not more than 2 percent shall 
        be used for the evaluation described under subsection (g).
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