Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) promote science, technology, engineering (including robotics), and mathematics (STEM) in secondary schools; (2) support the participation of secondary school students in nontraditional STEM teaching methods; and (3) broaden secondary school students' access to STEM careers.
Gives priority to grant applications that target: (1) a rural or urban school, (2) a low-performing school or LEA, or (3) an LEA or school that serves students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches under the school lunch program.
Authorizes the Secretary to waive all or part of the matching requirement for financially-strapped LEAs.
Directs the Secretary to evaluate the efficacy of the grant program.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 716 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 716
To establish within the Department of Education the Innovation
Inspiration school grant program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 4, 2011
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Begich, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Franken, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Reid) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish within the Department of Education the Innovation
Inspiration school grant program, and for other purposes.
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 ``Innovation Inspiration School Grant
Program Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) According to the National Science Board's 2010 Science
and Engineering Indicators, only 5 percent of American college
graduates major in engineering. In Asia, about 20 percent of
all baccalaureate degrees are in engineering and in China about
33 percent of baccalaureate degrees are in engineering.
(2) Although 4th graders in the United States score well
against international competition, students in the United
States fall near the bottom or dead last by 12th grade in
mathematics and science, respectively.
(3) Admissions requirements for undergraduate engineering
schools include a solid background in mathematics (algebra,
geometry, trigonometry, and calculus) and science (biology,
chemistry, and physics), in addition to courses in English,
social studies, and humanities.
(4) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall
engineering employment is expected to grow by 11 percent from
2008 through 2018, and, as a group, engineers earn some of the
highest average starting salaries among individuals holding
baccalaureate degrees.
(5) According to the Department of Labor, engineers should
be creative, inquisitive, analytical, and detail-oriented.
Engineers should be able to work as part of a team and to
communicate well, both orally and in writing. Communication
abilities are becoming increasingly important as engineers
interact more frequently with specialists in a wide range of
fields outside engineering.
(6) Exposure to project- and problem-based learning, in a
competitive team environment, gives 9th through 12th graders
the skills that they need to be successful in engineering
programs of study and engineering careers.
(7) According to Brandeis University's Center for Youth and
Communities, participants in FIRST Robotics (a nonprofit
organization that inspires young people to be science and
technology leaders by engaging the young people in mentor-based
programs)--
(A) are more likely than nonparticipants to attend
an institution of higher education on a full-time basis
(88 percent versus 53 percent);
(B) are nearly 2 times as likely to major in a
science or engineering field; and
(C) are more than 3 times as likely to have majored
specifically in engineering.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(2) Low-income student.--The term ``low-income student''
means a student who is eligible for free or reduced price lunch
under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
(3) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has
the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(5) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering (including robotics), or mathematics.
(6) Non-traditional stem teaching method.--The term ``non-
traditional STEM teaching method'' means a STEM education
method or strategy such as incorporating self-directed student
learning, inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning in small
groups, collaboration with mentors in the field of study, and
participation in STEM-related competitions.
SEC. 4. INNOVATIVE INSPIRATION SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Goals of Program.--The goals of the Innovation Inspiration
grant program are--
(1) to provide opportunities for local educational agencies
to support non-traditional STEM education teaching methods;
(2) to support the participation of students in nonprofit
STEM competitions;
(3) to foster innovation and broaden interest in, and
access to, careers in the STEM fields by investing in programs
supported by educators and professional mentors who receive
hands-on training and ongoing communications that strengthen
the interactions of the educators and mentors with--
(A) students who are involved in STEM activities;
and
(B) other students in the STEM classrooms and
communities of such educators and mentors; and
(4) to encourage collaboration among students, engineers,
and professional mentors.
(b) Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award
grants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies
to enable the local educational agencies--
(A) to promote STEM in secondary schools;
(B) to support the participation of secondary
school students in non-traditional STEM teaching
methods; and
(C) to broaden secondary school students' access to
careers in STEM.
(2) Duration.--The Secretary shall award each grant under
this Act for a period of not more than 5 years.
(3) Amounts.--The Secretary shall award a grant under this
Act in an amount that is sufficient to carry out the goals of
this Act.
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--Each local educational agency desiring a
grant under this Act shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
(2) Contents.--The application shall, at a minimum, include
a description of how the local educational agency will--
(A) carry out STEM teaching programs that will use
a non-traditional STEM teaching method;
(B) identify and recruit partners and mentors--
(i) to help carry out the programs
described in subparagraph (A); and
(ii) to assist students who participate in
such programs, including through technology-
supported means;
(C) support educators who lead such programs, and
participants in such programs, through stipends or
other incentives;
(D) recruit young women and individuals from
populations historically underrepresented in the STEM
fields to participate in such programs;
(E) identify public and private partners that can
support such programs with cash or in-kind
contributions;
(F) plan for sustaining such programs financially
beyond the grant period; and
(G) evaluate the grant project and the results of
the grant project among participating students,
including--
(i) comparing students who participate in
the grant project to similar students who do
not participate; and
(ii) evaluating--
(I) secondary school graduation
rates;
(II) rates of attendance at
institutions of higher education;
(III) the number of students taking
advanced STEM related secondary school
classes; and
(IV) the ability of students
participating in the grant project to
partner with professional mentors.
(3) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to applications from local
educational agencies that propose to carry out activities that
target--
(A) a rural or urban school;
(B) a low-performing school or local educational
agency; or
(C) a local educational agency or school that
serves low-income students.
(d) Uses of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Each local educational agency that
receives a grant under this Act shall use the grant funds for
any of the following:
(A) STEM education and career activities.--
Promotion of STEM education and career activities.
(B) Purchase of parts.--The purchase of parts and
supplies needed to support participation in non-
traditional STEM teaching methods.
(C) Teacher incentives and stipends.--Incentives
and stipends for teachers involved in non-traditional
STEM teaching methods outside of their regular teaching
duties.
(D) Support and expenses.--Support and expenses for
student participation in regional and national
nonprofit STEM competitions.
(E) Additional materials and support.--Additional
materials and support, such as equipment, facility use,
technology, broadband access, and other expenses,
directly associated with non-traditional STEM teaching
and mentoring.
(F) Evaluation.--Carrying out the evaluation
described in subsection (c)(2)(G).
(G) Other activities.--Carrying out other
activities that are related to the goals of the grant
program, as described in subsection (a).
(2) Prohibition.--A local educational agency shall not use
grant funds awarded under this Act to participate in any STEM
competition that is not a nonprofit competition.
(3) Administrative costs.--Each eligible entity that
receives a grant under this Act may use not more than 2 percent
of the grant funds for costs related to the administration of
the grant project.
(e) Matching Requirement.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), each local
educational agency that receives a grant under this Act shall
secure, toward the cost of the activities assisted under the
grant, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent
of the grant. The non-Federal contribution may be provided in
cash or in kind.
(2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive all or part of the
matching requirement described in paragraph (1) for a local
educational agency if the Secretary determines that applying
the matching requirement would result in a serious financial
hardship or a financial inability to carry out the goals of the
grant project.
(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided to a local
educational agency under this Act shall be used to supplement, and not
supplant, funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized
under this Act.
(g) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall establish an evaluation
program to determine the efficacy of the grant program established by
this Act, which shall include comparing students participating in a
grant project funded under this Act to similar students who do not so
participate, in order to assess the impact of student participation
on--
(1) what courses a student takes in the future; and
(2) a student's postsecondary study.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for each of
the fiscal years 2012 through 2016.
(2) Limitations.--Of the amounts appropriated under
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, not more than 2 percent shall
be used for the evaluation described under subsection (g).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2150-2151)
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line