[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1665 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1665
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the National Science Foundation to support STEM education
research focused on early childhood.
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 ``Building Blocks of STEM Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The National Science Foundation is a large investor in
STEM education and plays a key role in setting research and
policy agendas.
(2) While studies have found that children who engage in
scientific activities from an early age develop positive
attitudes toward science and are more likely to pursue STEM
expertise and careers later on, the majority of current
research focuses on increasing STEM opportunities for middle
school-aged children and older.
(3) Women remain widely underrepresented in the STEM
workforce, and this gender disparity extends down through all
levels of education.
SEC. 3. SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH.
In awarding grants under the Discovery Research PreK-12 program,
the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider the age
distribution of a STEM education research and development project to
improve the focus of research and development on early childhood
education.
SEC. 4. SUPPORTING FEMALE STUDENTS IN PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN STEM EDUCATION.
Section 305(d) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act
(42 U.S.C. 1862s-5(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Research.--As a component of improving participation
of women in STEM fields, research funded by a grant under this
subsection may include research on--
``(A) the role of teacher training and professional
development, including effective incentive structures
to encourage teachers to participate in such training
and professional development, in encouraging or
discouraging female students in prekindergarten through
elementary school from participating in STEM
activities;
``(B) the role of teachers in shaping perceptions
of STEM in female students in prekindergarten through
elementary school and discouraging such students from
participating in STEM activities;
``(C) the role of other facets of the learning
environment on the willingness of female students in
prekindergarten through elementary school to
participate in STEM activities, including learning
materials and textbooks, classroom decorations, seating
arrangements, use of media and technology, classroom
culture, and gender composition of students during
group work;
``(D) the role of parents and other caregivers in
encouraging or discouraging female students in
prekindergarten through elementary school from
participating in STEM activities;
``(E) the types of STEM activities that encourage
greater participation by female students in
prekindergarten through elementary school;
``(F) the role of mentorship and best practices in
finding and utilizing mentors;
``(G) the role of informal and out-of-school STEM
learning opportunities on the perception of and
participation in STEM activities of female students in
prekindergarten through elementary school; and
``(H) any other area the Director determines will
carry out the goal described in paragraph (1).''.
SEC. 5. SUPPORTING FEMALE STUDENTS IN PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION.
Section 310(b) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act
(42 U.S.C. 1862s-7(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Uses of funds.--The tools and models described in
paragraph (2)(C) may include--
``(A) offering training and professional
development programs, including summer or academic year
institutes or workshops, designed to strengthen the
capabilities of prekindergarten and elementary school
teachers and to familiarize such teachers with the role
of gender bias in the classroom;
``(B) offering innovative pre-service and in-
service programs that instruct teachers on gender-
inclusive practices for teaching computing concepts;
``(C) developing distance learning programs for
teachers or students, including developing curricular
materials, play-based computing activities, and other
resources for the in-service professional development
of teachers that are made available to teachers through
the Internet;
``(D) developing or adapting prekindergarten and
elementary school computer science curricular materials
that incorporate contemporary research on the science
of learning, particularly with respect to gender
inclusion;
``(E) developing and offering gender-inclusive
computer science enrichment programs for students,
including after-school and summer programs;
``(F) providing mentors for female students in
prekindergarten through elementary school in person and
through the Internet to support such students in
participating in computer science activities;
``(G) engaging female students in prekindergarten
through elementary school and their guardians about the
difficulties faced by such students to maintain an
interest in participating in computer science
activities;
``(H) acquainting female students in
prekindergarten through elementary school with careers
in computer science and encouraging such students to
consider careers in such field;
``(I) developing tools to evaluate activities
conducted under this subsection; and
``(J) any other tools or models the Director
determines will accomplish the aim described in
paragraph (2)(C).''.
Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 2019.
Attest:
Clerk.
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1665
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the National Science Foundation to support STEM education
research focused on early childhood.