I
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4828
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 10, 2014
Mr. Garcia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to award grants to establish STEM Innovation Networks.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Innovative STEM Networks Act
or the
I-STEM Act
.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, 60 percent of U.S. employers are having difficulties finding qualified workers to fill vacancies at their companies.
Office of Science and Technology and Policy states that STEM occupations will grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM occupations over the period from 2008
through 2018
.
According to the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, at all levels of educational attainment, STEM job holders earn 11 percent higher wages compared with their same-degree counterparts in other jobs.
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices also states that The top 10 bachelor-degree majors with the highest median earnings are all in STEM fields
.
According to the Harris STEM Survey, although most parents of K–12 students (93 percent) believe that STEM education should be a priority in the U.S., only half (49 percent) agreed that it actually is a top priority for this country.
The Harris STEM Survey also states that Only one in five STEM college students felt that their K–12 education prepared them extremely well
for their college courses in STEM.
.
STEM Innovation Networks
Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:
STEM Innovation Networks
Purpose
It is the purpose of this part to authorize a program to provide competitive grants to State educational agencies or local educational agencies to establish STEM innovation networks in partnership with institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, other public agencies, or businesses to increase the number of students who are effectively prepared for postsecondary education and careers in STEM fields by—
working with States and local educational agencies to develop comprehensive plans for identifying, developing, testing, and implementing evidence-based practices to provide rich STEM learning opportunities for students; and
supporting the implementation of such plans by employing of wide range of strategies, depending on local needs, including the recruitment, preparation, and professional development of effective STEM educators, the development and testing of teaching and learning models that enable students to successfully meet STEM-focused State academic standards developed under section 1111, and student engagement in STEM subjects.
Grant program
In general
From the amounts appropriated under subsection (i), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to establish STEM Innovation networks to increase student achievement in STEM subjects and increase the number of students who are effectively prepared for postsecondary education and careers in STEM fields.
Number of grants
The Secretary shall award not less than 5 and not more than 10 grants under this section for each fiscal year.
Priority
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that include a high-need local educational agency or a State educational agency that serves a high-need local educational agency.
Application
In general
An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
Contents
An application submitted by an eligible entity under paragraph (1) shall include a description of the activities that will be carried out with the grant received under this section, and how such activities will address the needs identified by the eligible entity, with respect to preparing students for postsecondary education and careers in STEM fields, including—
a description of the data for elementary schools and secondary schools in the State or States served by the eligible entity on—
student achievement in the STEM subjects;
teacher evaluation results or ratings in STEM subjects; and
student access to STEM subjects, especially for students enrolled in high-need schools or residing in high-need communities;
a review of the workforce needs in the State or States served by the eligible entity in occupations and sectors that require knowledge or training in STEM subjects;
based on a review of the data described in subparagraph (A) and the workforce needs under subparagraph (B)—
an identification of the STEM subjects that the eligible entity will address with the grant funds; and
a description of the activities the eligible entity will carry out to improve instruction in such STEM subjects using evidence-based programs of instruction that are aligned with State academic standards and assessments developed under section 1111;
a description of how the activities carried out with the grant funds will integrate with informal STEM programs;
results from an analysis carried out before the submission of such application by the eligible entity or a member of the eligible entity of STEM subject education quality and outcomes in the State or States served by the eligible entity, if available;
whether the eligible entity will provide matching funds from private sources (which are not Federal, State, or local sources) to carry out the activities under subsection (e); and
a description of how the activities carried out with the grant funds will be coordinated with other Federal, State, and local programs and activities relating to STEM, and how the activities carried out with the grant funds may improve or benefit such other programs and activities.
Uses of funds
Required activities
An eligible entity shall use a grant received under this section to establish and maintain STEM innovation networks to effectively prepare students for postsecondary education and careers in STEM fields by carrying out the following:
Increasing student awareness about STEM career pathways that reflect the STEM workforce needs identified under subsection (d)(2)(B).
Developing statewide plans that integrate and align workforce needs with education and training programs that prepare students for college degree pathways and careers in STEM fields, which result in 2-year degrees, trade certifications, or other measures of STEM-specific workforce skills.
Identifying points of weakness and strength of State STEM education efforts, prioritizing strategies for addressing problem areas with respect to such efforts, and communicating the needs of the State or States served by the eligible entity.
Authorized activities
An eligible entity may use a grant received under this section to carry out the following:
Promoting and developing in school and out-of-school curricular tools and professional development for STEM educators at the elementary school and secondary school levels.
Providing induction and mentoring services to new teachers in STEM subjects that the eligible entity identifies under subsection (d)(2)(C).
Promoting and developing rigorous undergraduate preservice teacher programs at institutions of higher education that emphasize STEM content.
Supporting the participation of elementary school and secondary school students (especially students enrolled in high-need schools or residing in high-need communities) in competitions, out-of-school activities, and field experiences related to STEM subjects.
Assisting in the implementation and assessment of rigorous career and college ready standards in STEM education for students in prekindergarten through grade 12.
Developing STEM-related education and workforce training programs in secondary schools and community colleges to reflect the needs of the local community.
Supplement, not supplant
Funds received under this part shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under this part.
Maintenance of Effort
A State that receives funds under this part for a fiscal year shall maintain the fiscal effort provided by the State for the STEM subjects supported by the funds under this part at a level equal to or greater than the level of such fiscal effort for the preceding fiscal year.
Definitions
Eligible entity
The term eligible entity
means 1 or more State educational agencies or local educational agencies in partnership with 1 or
more of the following entities that have a demonstrated record of success
in improving student achievement in STEM subjects:
A nonprofit organization.
A business.
A STEM faculty or teacher training department of an institution of higher education.
An educational service agency.
Another entity.
Community college
The term community college
has the meaning given the term in section 3301.
High-need community
The term high-need community
has the meaning given the term in section 2151(e)(9).
High-need local educational agency
The term high-need local educational agency
has the meaning given the term in section 2102.
High-need school
The term high-need school
has the meaning given the term in section 2312.
Informal STEM program
The term informal STEM program
means a STEM program that takes place outside of a standard school setting, and may include an
afterschool, out-of-school, summer, or other STEM education program that
takes place outside of the regular school day in a school setting or other
learning environment.
STEM
The term STEM
means science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, including other academic subjects or
fields—
that build on those disciplines, such as computer science; or
that a State identifies as important to the workforce of the State.
Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2015 and each succeeding fiscal year.
.
Conforming amendment
The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to part D of title II the following:
Part E—STEM Innovation Networks
Sec. 2501. Purpose.
Sec. 2502. Grant program.
.
