,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ajhi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ab1 #bjac ,mr4 ,honda 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,bera of ,california1 ,ms4 ,bordallo1 ,ms4 ,brownley of ,california1 ,mr4 ,butterfield1 ,ms4 ,chu1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,ellison1 ,mr4 ,al ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,mc,dermott1 ,mrs4 ,negrete ,mc,leod1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,mr4 ,price of ,north ,carolina1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,ruiz1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,ryan of ,ohio1 ,mr4 ,sablan1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,swalwell of ,california1 ,mr4 ,takano1 and ,mr4 ,veasey7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to stimulate collaboration with respect to1 and provide for coordination and coherence of1 the ,nation's science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics education initiatives1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,stepping ,up to ,,stem ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,technology and the ,internet have transformed nearly every aspect of both the global economy and our daily lives4 ,in a technology-rich world1 no amount of memorizing information will make a student competitive in the global labor market4 ,america needs an education system that supports students from all walks of life in becoming inquisitive1 resourceful thinkers who use technology to pursue knowledge1 collaborate across geographic and cultural boundaries1 acquire new skills1 and solve complex problems4 7#b7 ,equality and equity of access is more than access to the same hardware1 software1 and broadband connections4 ,it includes access to the best digital learning resources and access to teachers who know how to orchestrate the use of these resources in ways that inspire students and produce better learning outcomes4 7#c7 ,technology by itself will not improve student outcomes4 ,what is needed are carefully designed innovations that include not just technology but also good learning content1 effective instructional strategies1 supports for teachers and school systems figuring out how to use the new approach1 and the capacity to collect1 analyze and reflect on data that will show whether or not the innovation is having the intended effects4 7#d7 ,effective learning technology implementations addressing the challenging aspects of language arts1 mathematics and science that all students are expected to master4 ,this will require partnerships among education agencies1 education researchers1 and technology developers with the common goal of harnessing technology to provide opportunities for deeper learning to students who would not otherwise experience them4 #c4 ,office of ,science1 ,technology1 ,engineering1 and ,mathematics ,education within the ,department of ,education 7a7 ,assistant ,secretary ,section #bjb of the ,department of ,education ,organization ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #cdab7 is amended in subsection 7b77#a7-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,e7 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,f7 as 7,g72 and 7#c7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,e7 the following3 7,f7 an ,assistant ,secretary for ,science1 ,technology1 ,engineering1 and ,mathematics ,education 7in this ,act referred to as the ,assistant ,secretary for ,,stem ,education72 and 4 7b7 ,office ,title ,,ii of the ,department of ,education ,organization ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #cdaa et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #bba4 ,office of ,science1 ,technology1 ,engineering1 and ,mathematics ,education 7a7 ,in general ,there shall be in the ,department of ,education an ,office of ,science1 ,technology1 ,engineering1 and ,mathematics ,education 7in this section referred to as the ,office of ,,stem ,education71 to be administered by the ,assistant ,secretary for ,,stem ,education appointed under section #bjb7;b74 7b7 ,responsibilities ,the ,assistant ,secretary of ,,stem ,education1 acting through the ,office1 shall serve as the principal advisor to the ,secretary on matters affecting science1 technology1 engineering1 and math education1 and shall administer such functions representing ,,stem education1 including the coordination of ,,stem activities and programs across ,federal agencies4 7c7 ,evaluation and report ,the ,assistant ,secretary for ,,stem ,education shall conduct an independent evaluation1 through grant or by contract1 of the ,,stem education programs administered by the ,department1 at least every #e years1 which shall include-- 7#a7 conducting an assessment of ,,stem education activities within the ,department by using the evaluations and reports of these programs to determine these programs' impact on-- 7,a7 the quantity of students taking advanced placement in ,,stem areas and seeking ,,stem degrees2 7,b7 the quantity of students exposed to ,,stem content in the hours outside of the regular school day2 7,c7 student academic achievement in mathematics and science2 and 7,d7 the increased number of highly qualified ,,stem teachers1 ,,stem content coaches1 and ,,stem master educators2 and 7#b7 the preparation and submission of a report on the results of the evaluation described in paragraph 7#a7 to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions and the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committees on ,appropriations of the ,senate and the ,house of ,representatives4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated #a1ejj1jjj to carry out this section for fiscal year #bjad and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter4 4 #d4 ,advanced ,research ,projects ,agency for ,education ,title ,,ii of the ,department of ,education ,organization ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #cdaa et seq471 as amended by section #b of this ,act1 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 #bbb4 ,advanced ,research ,projects ,agency for ,education 7a7 ,establishment ,there shall be in the ,department an ,advanced ,research ,projects ,agency for ,education 7referred to in this section as ,,arpa-,,ed74 7b7 ,purposes ,,arpa-,,ed is established under this section for the purposes of pursuing breakthrough research and development in educational technology and providing the effective use of the technology to improve achievement for all students1 by-- 7#a7 integrating ,,stem related content areas including science1 technology1 computer science1 engineering design1 mathematics and computational thinking2 7#b7 identifying and promoting revolutionary advances in fundamental and applied sciences and engineering that could be translated into new learning technologies2 7#c7 developing novel learning technologies1 and the enabling processes and contexts for effective use of those technologies2 7#d7 developing1 testing1 and evaluating the impact and efficacy of those technologies2 7#e7 developing educational technology innovations including data analytic tools that help ,state educational agencies and local educational agencies with reporting required under ,federal accountability mandates2 7#f7 accelerating transformational technological advances in areas in which the private sector1 by itself1 is not likely to accelerate such advances because of difficulties in implementation or adoption1 or technical and market uncertainty2 7#g7 coordinating activities with nongovernmental entities to demonstrate technologies and research applications to facilitate technology transfer2 and 7#h7 encouraging educational research using new technologies and the data produced by the technologies4 7c7 ,coordination 7#a7 ,the ,agency shall work closely and collaboratively between agencies in order to maximize the ,federal effort and investment to the ,project4 7#b7 ,the ,agency shall work with the ,national ,science ,foundation's ,cyber ,learning ,program4 7d7 ,authorities of ,secretary ,the ,secretary is authorized to-- 7#a7 appoint a ,director1 who shall be responsible for carrying out the purposes of ,,arpa-,,ed1 as described in subsection 7b71 and such additional functions as the ,secretary may prescribe2 7#b7 establish processes for the development and execution of projects and the solicitation of entities to carry out the projects in a manner that is-- 7,a7 tailored to the purposes of ,,arpa-,,ed and not constrained by other ,department-wide administrative requirements that could detract from achieving program results2 and 7,b7 designed to heighten transparency1 and public- and private-sector involvement1 to ensure that investments are made in the most promising areas2 7#c7 award grants1 contracts1 cooperative agreements1 and cash prizes1 and enter into other transactions 7in accordance with such regulations as the ,secretary may establish regarding other transactions72 7#d7 obtain independent1 periodic1 rigorous evaluations1 as appropriate1 of-- 7,a7 the effectiveness of the processes ,,arpa-,,ed is using to achieve its purposes2 and 7,b7 the effectiveness of individual projects assisted by ,,arpa-,,ed1 using evidence standards developed in consultation with the ,institute of ,education ,sciences1 and the suitability of ongoing projects assisted by ,,arpa-,,ed for further investment or increased scale2 and 7#e7 disseminate1 through the comprehensive centers established under section #bjc of the ,educational ,technical ,assistance ,act of #bjjb 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ifjb71 the regional educational laboratories system established under section #agd of the ,education ,sciences ,reform ,act of #bjjb 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #iefd71 or such other means as the ,secretary determines to be appropriate1 information on effective practices and technologies developed with ,,arpa-,,ed support4 7e7 ,evaluation funds ,the ,secretary may use funds made available for ,,arpa-,,ed to pay the cost of the evaluations under subsection 7c77#f74 7f7 ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 any advisory committee convened by the ,secretary to provide advice with respect to this section shall be exempt from the requirements of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 and the definition of employee in section #baje of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall not be considered to include any appointee to such a committee4 7g7 ,nonduplication ,to the maximum extent practicable1 the ,secretary shall ensure that grants1 contracts1 cooperative agreements1 cash prizes1 or other assistance or arrangements awarded or entered into pursuant to this section that are designed to carry out the purposes of ,,arpa-,,ed do not duplicate activities under programs carried out under ,federal law other than this section by the ,department or other ,federal agencies4 4 #e4 ,state ,networks and ,consortia on ,science1 ,technology1 ,engineering1 and ,mathematics ,education 7a7 ,in general ,from amounts made available to carry out this section1 the ,secretary of ,education shall make grants to eligible networks to expand ,,stem education4 7b7 ,eligible network defined ,in this section1 the term eligible network means a ,state-based ,,stem network or similar organization1 which-- 7#a7 may include the participation of ,state officials1 educators1 administrators1 afterschool providers1 out of school time educators1 parents1 industry leaders1 philanthropists1 and representatives from the ,,stem communities2 7#b7 aims to increase student achievement and experiences in the ,,stem disciplines at the elementary schools and secondary schools in its ,state1 and out of school programs and particularly for students with a high concentration of historically under represented students and at rural schools 7within the meaning of part ,b of title ,,vi of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fbja et seq4772 and 7#c7 aims to increase the number of quality afterschool programs offering ,,stem learning opportunities1 particularly for students from populations traditionally under-represented in the ,,stem fields4 7c7 ,eligible network application 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible network seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 7#b7 ,matching requirement ,in order to receive a grant under this section1 an eligible network shall agree to provide1 either directly or through private contributions1 non-,federal matching funds equal to not less than #cj percent of the amount of the grant4 7d7 ,uses of funds ,each eligible network receiving a grant under this section shall use the funds to carry out one or more of the following3 7#a7 ,testing1 validating1 sharing1 and scaling up ,,stem education research1 promising practices1 and exemplary programs among members of the network and with other eligible networks receiving grants under this section4 7#b7 ,identifying points of weakness and strength among ,state ,,stem education efforts1 prioritizing strategies for addressing problem areas1 and communicating ,state needs to the ,secretary4 7#c7 ,assisting in the implementation of rigorous career and college ready standards in ,,stem education for grades prekindergarten through grade #ab that reflect and take into consideration-- 7,a7 career and college ready standards in ,,stem disciplines2 7,b7 established international standards and #bast century skills that include critical thinking1 problem solving1 communication1 collaboration1 creativity1 and innovation2 7,c7 the needs of ,english language learners and special education students2 and 7,d7 the need to increase ,,stem literacy of prekindergarten through grade #ab students4 7#d7 ,assisting the development of innovative ,,stem assessments that measure interest1 engagement1 and content proficiency4 7#e7 ,supporting the implementation of ,,stem assessments that measure career and college ready standards4 7#f7 ,promoting and developing rigorous undergraduate pre-service teacher programs in institutions of higher education that emphasize ,,stem content with emphasis on the elementary educator4 7#g7 ,promoting and developing curriculum tools and professional development for ,,stem educators both in school and out of school4 7#h7 ,developing ,,stem career pathways that reflect the projected ,,stem workforce needs of the #bast century that may include mentoring programs and ,,stem professional outreach4 7#i7 ,developing ,,stem-related education and workforce training programs in secondary schools and community colleges to reflect the needs of the local community4 7#aj7 ,developing systems for the implementation of expanded learning opportunities on school sites to enhance ,,stem education inside and outside of the classroom4 7#aa7 ,promoting1 supporting1 and designing programs that develop ,,stem content coaches and master educators in order to strengthen core competencies of the classroom practitioner4 7e7 ,evaluation and report ,not later than #b years after receiving a grant under this section1 each eligible network receiving such a grant shall-- 7#a7 conduct periodic independent evaluations1 by grant or by contract1 of the eligible network's effectiveness at accomplishing the activities described in this section1 which shall include an assessment of the impact of such activities on ,,stem teaching and learning2 and 7#b7 prepare and submit a report on the results of each evaluation described in paragraph 7#a7 to the ,secretary and make for dissemination to other ,,stem ,networks4 7f7 ,prohibitions ,in implementing this section1 the ,secretary may not-- 7#a7 endorse1 approve1 or sanction any ,,stem curriculum designed for use in any elementary school1 secondary school1 or institution of higher education2 or 7#b7 engage in oversight1 technical assistance1 or activities that will require the adoption of a specific ,,stem program or instructional materials by a ,state1 local educational agency1 or school4 7g7 ,total amount of grants ,the total amount of grants made under this section in any fiscal year may not exceed #bj1jjj1jjj4 7h7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the terms elementary school1 local educational agency1 secondary school1 and ,state educational agency have the meanings given such terms in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,the term high concentration of low-income students has the meaning given such term in section #agjg of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fecg74 7#c7 ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74 7#d7 ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#e7 ,the term ,state means each of the several ,states of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 ,guam1 the ,commonwealth of ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands4 7#f7 ,the term ,,stem means science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics4 7#g7 ,the term #bast century readiness initiative means any initiative that-- 7,a7 embeds core academic subjects with critical skills2 and 7,b7 is focused on ensuring that students are prepared for postsecondary education and careers1 upon graduation from secondary school4