[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 161 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 161

   Expressing support for designation of September 18 as ``National 
                     Innovation in Education Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2015

Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Clarke of New York, 
Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Polis, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Jackson Lee, 
  Mr. McDermott, and Mr. Conyers) submitted the following resolution; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing support for designation of September 18 as ``National 
                     Innovation in Education Day''.

Whereas a growing number of schools have embraced a curriculum that highlights 
        the importance of technological advancement;
Whereas incorporating technology into classrooms, including the additions of 
        personal computers, tablet devices, eBooks, and SmartBoards, has not 
        only cut classroom expenses but has also inspired students to become 
        more engaged in their own education;
Whereas studies have shown that 65 percent of educators believe that students 
        are more productive today than they were several years ago, due to the 
        increased use of technology in the classroom;
Whereas 90 percent of tablet-owning college students think tablets are valuable 
        for education and 6 in 10 high school seniors and college students think 
        that tablets help students study more efficiently and perform better in 
        class;
Whereas the percentage of students who rated either proficient or advanced was 
        49 percent higher in ``flipped classrooms'' that integrated tablets into 
        the curriculum than in traditional classrooms;
Whereas studies have proven that students using tablets saw their math test 
        scores increase 20 percent in 1 year compared to students using 
        traditional textbooks;
Whereas students in classrooms that implemented video lectures saw a 14 percent 
        increase in GPA compared to traditional classroom settings;
Whereas students who have been exposed to technology and creative teaching 
        methods in the classroom will be more readily prepared for a career in 
        science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields;
Whereas the implementation of integrated education technology initiatives has 
        led to 21 percent composite achievement rate increases and 25 percent 
        graduation rate increases over 5 years;
Whereas technological advancement in the classroom offers unique ways to 
        incorporate the arts into STEM education, referred to as STEAM 
        education, providing students an opportunity to more easily engage with 
        the arts that studies show is correlated with higher SAT scores and 
        professional academic achievement;
Whereas schools that emphasize personalized learning environments, integration 
        of arts and technology in project based learning, and development of 
        deeper learning skills have highly successful graduation rates, with up 
        to 98 percent of their graduates enrolled at an institution of higher 
        education;
Whereas the implementation of project-based learning focused on STEM has led to 
        62 percent of students being the first generation in their families to 
        enroll in an institution of higher education and a near zero secondary 
        school dropout rate;
Whereas 74 percent of pre-K through 12th-grade teachers say technology enables 
        them to reinforce and expand on content and respond to a variety of 
        learning styles, as it gives them the flexibility to teach to individual 
        students' strengths;
Whereas different programs or devices can be implemented for collaborative 
        learners while other programs may better suit those students who prefer 
        to work individually;
Whereas 75 percent of teachers in low-income communities said that they wished 
        to have more technology in the classroom due to a lack of updated 
        textbooks and materials; and
Whereas September 18 would be an appropriate date to designate as ``National 
        Innovation in Education Day'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``National Innovation in 
        Education Day'' to recognize the advances that the Nation's 
        schools have made incorporating both creative teaching methods 
        and technology into the classroom;
            (2) recognizes the importance of creative teaching methods 
        as a means of engaging students in their education and 
        inspiring more students to pursue higher education;
            (3) recognizes that technological advancements within the 
        classroom prepare students for a more information-driven 
        market, thus closing the gap between education and the 
        workforce by allowing students to obtain the skills necessary 
        for employment in competitive science and technology fields in 
        the United States; and
            (4) recognizes the achievements of outstanding educators 
        who have exemplified the innovative teaching methods listed 
        above.
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