,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dafa ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #f1 #bjad ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz 7for herself and ,ms4 ,granger7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology ,a ,,bill ,to encourage and further research on the engagement of underrepresented youth in the ,,stem fields4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the #bast ,century ,,stem for ,underrepresented ,students ,act4 #b4 ,,stem for underrepresented students 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation shall establish a program to provide grants on a merit-reviewed1 competitive basis for research on programming that engages underrepresented students in grades kindergarten through #h in ,,stem in order to prepare these groups to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees or careers in ,,stem4 7b7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,in general ,grants awarded under this section shall be used toward research to advance the engagement of underrepresented students grades kindergarten through #h in ,,stem through providing before-school1 after-school1 out-of-school1 or summer activities1 including programs 7if applicable to the target population7 provided in a single-gender environment1 that are designed to encourage interest1 engagement1 and skills development of underrepresented students in ,,stem4 ,such research shall be conducted in learning environments that actively provide programming to underrepresented students in grades kindergarten through #h in ,,stem4 7#b7 ,permitted activities ,such activities may include-- 7,a7 the provision of programming described in subsection 7a7 for the purpose of research2 7,b7 the use of a variety of engagement methods including cooperative and hands-on learning2 7,c7 exposure of underrepresented youth to role models in the fields of ,,stem and near-peer mentors2 7,d7 training of informal learning educators and youth-serving professionals using evidence-based methods consistent with the target student population being served2 7,e7 education of students on the relevance and significance of ,,stem careers1 provision of academic advice and assistance1 and activities designed to help students make real-world connections to ,,stem content activities2 7,f7 the attendance of underrepresented youth at events1 competitions1 and academic programs to provide content expertise and encourage career exposure in ,,stem2 7,g7 activities designed to engage parents of underrepresented youth2 7,h7 innovative strategies to engage underrepresented youth1 such as using leadership skill outcome measures to encourage youth with the confidence to pursue ,,stem coursework and academic study2 7,i7 coordination with ,,stem-rich environments1 including other nonprofit1 nongovernmental organizations1 classroom and out-of-classroom settings1 institutions of higher education1 vocational facilities1 corporations1 museums1 or science centers2 and 7,j7 the acquisition of instructional materials or technology-based tools to conduct applicable grant activity4 7c7 ,application ,an applicant seeking funding under the section shall submit an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as may be required4 ,the application shall include1 at a minimum1 the following3 7#a7 ,a description of the target audience to be served by the program1 including an explanation and justification for why the target group ought to be considered as underrepresented students in one or more of the ,,stem fields4 7#b7 ,a description of the process for recruitment and selection of students4 7#c7 ,a description of how such research activity may inform programming that engages underrepresented students in grades kindergarten through #h in ,,stem4 7#d7 ,a description of how such research activity may inform programming that promotes student academic achievement in ,,stem4 7#e7 ,an evaluation plan that includes1 at a minimum1 the use of outcome-oriented measures to determine the impact and efficacy of programming being researched4 7d7 ,awards ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,director shall give priority to applicants which1 for the purpose of grant activity1 include or partner with a nonprofit1 nongovernmental organization that has extensive experience and expertise in increasing the participation of underrepresented students in ,,stem4 7e7 ,evaluations ,each applicant that receives funds under this section shall provide1 at the conclusion of every year during which the funds are received1 an evaluation in a form prescribed by the ,director4 ,this evaluation shall include both formative and summative evaluation4 7f7 ,accountability and dissemination 7#a7 ,evaluation required ,not later than #c years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall evaluate the program established under this section4 ,in addition to evaluating the effectiveness of the program1 such evaluation shall-- 7,a7 use a common set of benchmarks and assessment tools to identify best practices and materials developed or demonstrated by the research2 and 7,b7 to the extent practicable1 combine the research resulting from the grant activity with the current research on serving underrepresented students in grades kindergarten through #h4 7#b7 ,report on evaluations ,not later than #ahj days after the completion of the evaluation under paragraph 7#a71 the ,director shall submit to ,congress and make widely available to the public a report that includes-- 7,a7 the results of the evaluation2 and 7,b7 any recommendations for administrative and legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the program4 7g7 ,coordination ,in carrying out this section1 the ,director shall consult1 cooperate1 and coordinate1 to enhance program effectiveness and to avoid duplication1 with the programs and policies of other relevant ,federal agencies4