[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 59 (Thursday, May 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E717-E719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 STATEMENT ON INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 1693 THE SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR THE 
                            21ST CENTURY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 3, 2001

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation 
that will help to improve K-12 science and mathematics education in the 
nation's schools. The Science Education for the 21st Century Act 
authorizes a range of activities to increase the numbers and enhance 
the capabilities of science and math teachers, to advance knowledge on 
the most effective uses of educational technologies, to increase 
participation in science and technology careers by women and 
minorities, and to provide more effective coordination of public and 
private sector efforts to improve science and math education.
  I want particularly to acknowledge the assistance and contributions 
of several of my Science Committee colleagues in the development of 
this legislation. The bill incorporates Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's 
provision to establish school/business partnerships to improve science 
and math education and to support students in pursuing undergraduate 
degrees in science and engineering; Rep. Lynn Woolsey's Go Girl Grants 
to encourage girls and young women to study math, science and 
engineering; Rep. Jim Barcia's provision to establish an educational 
technology extension service to support K-12 schools; Rep. Mark Udall's 
scholarships for science, math and engineering students willing to 
become certified and to serve as science teachers; Rep. John Larson's 
provisions on assessing the means for deployment of broadband networks 
for schools and libraries and on demonstrating educational applications 
for such networks; and Reps. Bob Etheridge's and Joe Baca's provisions 
on improving the preparation and in-service professional development of 
science and math teachers.
  The importance of providing all students with a sound grounding in 
science, math and technology education is evident. Looking at the 
overall economy, worker skill level correlates directly with 
productivity growth. More than one quarter of the growth in labor 
productivity during the boom years of the 1990s is attributed to 
increases in worker skills, as measured by education and work 
experience. The Department of Labor estimates that a 1% increase in 
worker skill level has the same effect on output and productivity 
growth as a 1% increase in hours worked.
  Moreover, national economic, policy and cultural matters are 
increasingly influenced by science and technology. Having a basic 
grounding in science and technology is necessary for individuals to 
make informed judgments about public policy issues and to lead 
fulfilling lives. Unfortunately, it is clear that we have problems both 
in the quality of K-12 science and math education and in attracting 
students to careers in science, engineering and technology.
  The National Assessment of Educational Progress, the national report 
card, reveals that fewer than one third of 4th, 8th and 12th grade 
students attain proficiency in science and math. International 
comparisons of math and science skills show the performance of U.S. 
students declining with years in the school system, and falling below 
that of students from most of our economic competitors. Poor 
preparation in elementary and secondary schools is reflected in the 
findings that over 40% of freshmen at public 2-year colleges are 
enrolled din remedial classes. Even at private 4-year colleges, 13% of 
students are enrolled in such classes. Moreover, approximately 35% of 
companies provide remedial math education for their employees.
  Although college attendance is increasing, relatively fewer students 
than in the past are pursuing undergraduate degrees in science, math 
and engineering. From peak levels in the mid-1980s, engineering majors 
have declined by 30%, and math majors by 45%, relative to other fields 
of study.
  One reason that the pool of scientists and engineers is growing more 
slowly is simply that the group traditionally most likely to enter 
these field, white males, is declining as a percentage of new workers. 
At present, white males constitute a little over 40% of the workforce 
and nearly 70% of scientists and engineers. In contrast, white females 
are about 35% of the workforce and only 15% of scientists and 
engineers. The corresponding figures for African Americans and 
Hispanics are each about 10% of the workforce and 2% of scientists and 
engineers.
  Clearly, we must do a better job of attracting women and minorities 
to science and preparing them to pursue postsecondary studies in 
science, math and engineering.
  The Department of Labor projects that new jobs requiring science, 
engineering and technical training will increase by 51% between 1998 
and 2008--roughly four times higher than average job growth nationally. 
The changing economy will not only require more scientists and 
engineers, but will require most workers to have increased skills. 
Sixty percent of all new jobs will require at least a high school 
education, and only 12% of new jobs will be filled by those with less 
than a high school education, and the number of such jobs will continue 
to decline.
  These trends suggest the need to improve K-12 science and math 
education, both to prepare more students to pursue science and 
engineering studies in college and to raise the skill levels for all 
students, who will find themselves in an increasingly technological 
workplace.
  The Science Education for the 21st Century Act will establish a range 
of education programs, primarily at the National Science Foundation, to 
address key factors that affect the quality of science and math 
education, as well as the associated problem of attracting individuals 
to careers in science, engineering and technology.
  First, the bill establishes programs to improve the training and 
professional development of science and math teachers, including 
incentives for science and engineering students to become science and 
math teachers. Clearly, an essential first step in improving science 
and math education in the schools is having teachers with both a sound 
knowledge of their subject and effective teaching skills.
  Next, the bill will institute programs to explore ways to use 
information technologies effectively in the classroom. Computers and 
communications networks have revolutionized the workplace, but have yet 
to reach their potential for educational applications. The emphasis 
will be on quantifying the techniques and approaches for employing 
technology that will lead to improved student performance, so that 
schools will know which approaches actually work and are worth the 
substantial investments needed to implement them.
  In addition, the bill authorizes programs to encourage the interest 
of women and minorities in science and math, and to help prepare them 
academically to pursue careers in science, math and engineering. The 
changing composition of the nation's workforce makes it essential that 
the talents of all segments of society are fully developed and 
utilized.
  And, finally, the bill establishes mechanisms to improve the 
coordination among the federal agencies that support K-12 science and 
math education activities. The federal resources available for this 
purpose are limited. Therefore, it is imperative that the resources be 
used for maximum benefit in helping the states and local school system 
that are engaged in reform of science and math education.

[[Page E718]]

  Mr. Speaker, improvement of K-12 science and math education is one of 
the most critical problems facing the nation. It is central to meeting 
the workforce needs of the information age economy and thereby 
maintaining the nation's economic strength. The Science Education for 
the 21st Century Act offers initiatives and programs that will help to 
meet this need. I commend the measure to my colleagues and ask for 
their support.

                                SUMMARY

               Science Education for the 21st Century Act

Title I. Pre-service Training and Professional Development for Science 
                                Teachers


 Section 101. Science Teacher Scholarships for Scientists and Engineers

       Establishes 1 year, $7500 scholarships for science, math 
     and engineering students, or baccalaureate degree holders in 
     these fields, to enable them to take courses necessary to 
     become certified as K-12 science teachers (``science 
     teacher'' in the bill means K-12 science, math or technology 
     teacher). Individuals receiving scholarships are required to 
     work as a K-12 teacher for a minimum of 2 years. NSF is 
     authorized $20 million per year for FY 2002 through 2004 to 
     make competitive grant awards to institutions of higher 
     education, which will administer the scholarships.


  Section 102. Collaborations for Improving Science Teacher Education

       Establishes a competitive grant program for collaborations 
     of education, math and science faculty at institutions of 
     higher education to develop courses and curriculum for pre-
     service science teacher education and for in-service 
     professional development of science teachers (in-service 
     courses must be offered by awardees). Emphasis is placed on 
     developing educational materials and instructional techniques 
     consistent with hands-on, inquiry-based teaching and 
     incorporating innovative uses of information technology. 
     Proposals must show evidence of a strong commitment by the 
     home institutions to institute rewards and incentives for 
     maintaining faculty participation among the various 
     departments and schools and also must include a plan for 
     continuation of the collaboration beyond the period of the 
     award. NSF is authorized $25 million per year for FY 2002 
     through FY 2004.


                  Section 103. Master Science Teachers

       Establishes a competitive grant award program for state or 
     local educational agencies to implement a plan for the 
     development and use of master science teachers for grades K-
     8. The proposals must include a detailed plan describing 
     certification and ongoing professional development 
     requirements for master teachers, job responsibilities, and 
     the relationship of the master teachers to school 
     administrators and other teachers. Grant funds may be used 
     for professional development activities, support for 
     participation by master teachers in summer research projects, 
     acquisition of educational materials and equipment, and 
     computers and networking access for master teachers to allow 
     for collaboration with colleagues and access to online 
     materials and content experts. NSF is required to give 
     priority in making awards to schools with a low proportion of 
     certified science teachers and to put in place means to 
     assess the effectiveness of the program in terms of trends in 
     student performance. NSF is authorized $25 million per year 
     for FY 2002 through FY 2004.


Section 104. Assessment of In-Service Teacher Professional Development 
                                Programs

       Requires NSF to review all in-service teacher professional 
     development programs to determine (1) the amount of attention 
     given to training teachers to use technology in the 
     classroom, and (2) the level of resources for school-building 
     and district-level professional development activities. NSF 
     is directed to ensure that the programs are adjusted as 
     needed to emphasize both areas and to report to Congress on 
     any proposed changes to the programs.

                    Title II. Educational Technology


      Section 201. Research on Effective Educational Technologies

       Establishes a competitive, merit-based research program at 
     NSF and the Department of Education to conduct large-scale 
     experiments to assess quantitatively the educational 
     effectiveness, in terms of student outcomes, of promising 
     educational approaches and techniques that incorporate 
     information technologies. The experiment will involve a wide 
     range of educational settings and track the progress of a 
     substantial number of students over time. Part of the 
     research will involve developing appropriate metrics to 
     assess student performance, and the results of the 
     experiments will be widely disseminated. The program is 
     authorized at $50 million for FY 2002, $75 million for FY 
     2003, and $150 million for FY 2004.


  Section 202. Educational Technology Utilization Extension Assistance

       Establishes an educational technology extension service for 
     K-12 schools composed of regional centers based at 
     intermediate school districts, regional education service 
     agencies, or institutions of higher education. The centers 
     will advise schools on the adoption and requirements for 
     support of new technologies, assist and train teachers in the 
     integration of technology into classroom instruction, and 
     provide general support services for teachers, administrators 
     and local school authorities in the acquisition, utilization 
     and support of educational technologies. NSF is authorized $7 
     million for FY 2002, $8.5 million for FY 2003, and $9.5 
     million for FY 2004.


Section 203. National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology 
                       Education Digital Library

       The National SMET Education Digital Library is an ongoing 
     component of the interagency digital library initiative. The 
     digital library initiative is developing the means for 
     searching, retrieving, organizing and preserving large 
     collections of digitized information in distributed 
     locations, including presentation tools and interfaces. The 
     National SMET Education Digital Library is a particular 
     application of these technologies that encompasses all 
     education levels. It is now funded primarily by NSF at $25 
     million per year. A supplemental authorization is provided of 
     $10 million for FY 2002, $15 million for FY 2003, and $17.5 
     million for FY 2004 for activities focused on


    Section 204. Study of Broadband Network Access for Schools and 
                               Libraries

       Requires NSF to prepare a report, in consultation with 
     other agencies, on the current status of school and library 
     access to high bandwidth Internet connections, on uses of 
     such high bandwidth connections, and on options for and 
     factors involved in acquiring and maintaining high bandwidth 
     connections.


             Section 205. Broadband Demonstration Projects

       Under the Next Generation Internet (NGI) portion of the 
     High Performance Computing Act of 1991, broadband Internet 
     connections to K-12 schools are authorized in order to allow 
     for demonstration projects testing the uses and effectiveness 
     of such capability for science, math and technology 
     education. The demonstration projects must be carried out in 
     coordination with the experiments authorized under section 
     201. NGI agencies are authorized $7 million for FY 2002, $8.5 
     million for FY 2003, and $9.5 million for FY 2004.

   Title III. Increasing Participation by Underrepresented Groups in 
                        Science and Engineering


      Section 301.Mathematics and Science Proficiency Partnerships

       Establishes a grant program at NSF for local educational 
     agencies to establish partnerships with private sector 
     entities to strengthen science and math education in the 
     participating schools and attract students to pursue science 
     and engineering baccalaureate degrees. The federal funds are 
     available for curriculum improvement and associated materials 
     and equipment and for teacher professional development. The 
     private sector funding, which must be available as a 
     condition for the awards, will provide undergraduate 
     scholarships, summer internships and support the acquisition 
     of computer equipment. The program is targeted for schools 
     with a high proportion of students from low-income families. 
     This is conceived as a demonstration program to see if 
     substantial private sector funding can be leverages. NSF is 
     required to track the progress of the program and to assess 
     its effectiveness. NSF is authorized $5 million per year for 
     FY 2002 through FY 2004.


                      Section 302. Go Girl Grants

       Establishes a grant program at NSF for local educational 
     agencies and institutions of higher education to stimulate 
     the interest of girls in science, math and technology and to 
     attract them to careers in those fields. The grants may 
     provide for such activities as tutoring, after school 
     activities, summer programs, internships, and field trips. 
     NSF is authorized $10 million per year for FY 2002 through FY 
     2004.


 Section 303. Articulation partnerships Between Community Colleges and 
                           Secondary Schools

       A provision of the Scientific and Advanced Technology Act 
     of 1992 authorizes NSF to make grants to community colleges 
     to enter into partnerships with secondary schools to improve 
     math and science education in those schools, to encourage 
     student interest in pursing careers in science and 
     engineering, and to help ensure that students satisfy college 
     entrance and course requirements for science, math and 
     engineering majors. This section directs NSF to give priority 
     for these awards to proposals that involve secondary schools 
     with majority minority student populations and to waive 
     matching requirement for these cases. NSF is authorized $5 
     million per year for FY 2002 through FY 2004.

          Title IV. Coordination of Science Education Programs


            Section 401. Interagency coordination Committee

       The director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
     (OSTP) is required to establish an interagency committee to 
     coordinate federal programs that are targeted on improving K-
     12 science education. The committee is charged to catalog 
     federal programs, determine the balance of funding among 
     types of activities, assess the relevance of the programs to 
     assist states and local school systems to implement 
     standards-based reform of science and math education, 
     evaluate the adequacy of procedures used by agencies to 
     assess whether the goal of the programs are being met, and 
     identify

[[Page E719]]

     ways to streamline application procedures and requirements 
     across agency programs.


                      Section 402. External Review

       Requires NSF to task the Nation Research Council to review 
     federal K-12 science education programs, similar to the 
     tasking to the committee under section 401.


                      Section 403. Education Plan

       Requires the OSTP director through the interagency 
     committee, and in consultation with appropriate state and 
     private sector entities, to prepare a plan for federal K-12 
     science education programs that will delineate a strategy to 
     increase the effectiveness of federal programs in assisting 
     localities engaged in standards-based reform efforts, to 
     identify best practices for use of information technologies 
     in classroom instruction, and to replicate programs 
     identified as being effective.


   Section 404. Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology Business 
                          Education Conference

       Requires NSF to convene annual K-12 science education 
     conferences to provide a forum for information sharing and to 
     help coordinate school reform efforts among the federal 
     government, state and local education agencies, teachers, and 
     the private sector. NSF is authorized $0.3 million for FY 
     2003, and $0.2 million for FY 2004.


                          Section 405. Reports

       Specifies that the OSTP director shall provide annual 
     reports on the development of the education plan required 
     under section 403 and on its implementation. NSF is required 
     to provide annual reports on the results of the conferences 
     established under section 404.

     

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