416d65726963612043616e20436f6465 Act of 2015 or the America Can Code Act of 2015
This bill amends the America COMPETES Act to include computer programming language that is critical to the national security and economic competitiveness of the United States as a "critical foreign language," the study of which is included in the teacher education programs and Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs funded under that Act.
The bill also amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to provide for: (1) state plans to include coding and computer programming instruction within the career and technical programs of study for which states receive assistance under that Act, and (2) the inclusion of coding and computer programming instruction within the federally-assisted tech prep programs that prepare participants in a career field by providing them with at least two years of secondary education followed by at least two years of postsecondary education or participation in an apprenticeship program.
The Department of Education shall convene a task force to explore: (1) mechanisms for the development of draft curricula for elementary and secondary computer programming and coding education; (2) a mechanism to collect and share best elementary and secondary school computer programming and coding practices among educators; and (3) a national strategy to ensure competitiveness in emerging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, such as computer programming and coding. The task force must establish an information portal that directs users to coordinated and systematic information on promoting coding and computer programming in elementary and secondary schools.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4041 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4041
To establish a task force to share best practices on computer
programming and coding for elementary schools and secondary schools,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 17, 2015
Mr. Cardenas (for himself, Mr. Farenthold, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Gallego,
Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Honda, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Foster, and Ms. Judy Chu of
California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a task force to share best practices on computer
programming and coding for elementary schools and secondary schools,
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 ``416d65726963612043616e20436f6465 Act
of 2015'' or the ``America Can Code Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the National Science Foundation, 2 percent
of students studying science, technology, engineering, or math
(STEM) are computer science majors, while 60 percent of STEM
jobs are in the computing field.
(2) The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that computer
programming jobs are growing at twice the national job growth
average, and these jobs are high paying middle class jobs that
can secure the financial future of many American families and
also help grow the United States economy.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) secondary schools should focus on preparing career and
technical students, including underrepresented groups such as
minorities and women, for academic and technical opportunities
in postsecondary education or entry into a high paying, skilled
job in the computer programming field;
(2) elementary schools and secondary schools should place
emphasis on coding and computer programming as a vocational and
technical education track;
(3) educators should rethink the way coding as a skill is
conceptualized within the education system and in our society;
and
(4) learning to write and read code is critical to creating
and innovating in cyberspace, and learning this language is
also a skill critical to the national security and economic
competitiveness of the United States.
SEC. 4. CODING AS A CRITICAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE.
Section 6001(b)(1) of the America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C.
9802(b)(1)) is amended by inserting ``, including a computer
programming language,'' after ``a foreign language''.
SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO THE CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL
EDUCATION ACT OF 2006.
The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 2006
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 122(c) (20 U.S.C. 2342(c))--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in the first sentence, by
inserting ``, including coding and
computer programming,'' after ``the
career and technical programs of
study''; and
(II) in clause (iv), by inserting
``, particularly in the technology
field'' after ``or an associate or
baccalaureate degree'';
(ii) in subparagraph (H), by inserting ``,
especially in computer programming'' after ``in
current or emerging occupations''; and
(iii) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by
inserting ``, especially in computer
programming'' after ``or high demand
occupations'';
(B) in paragraph (7)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting
``, particularly coding and computer
programming'' after ``career and technical
education subjects''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``,
such as the technology industry'' after ``all
aspects of an industry'';
(C) in paragraph (9)(C), by inserting ``,
especially in computer programming'' after ``or high
demand occupations'';
(D) in paragraph (16), by inserting ``, especially
in computer programming'' after ``regional occupational
opportunities''; and
(E) in paragraph (18), by inserting ``, especially
in computer programming'' after ``or high demand
occupations and non-traditional fields''; and
(2) in section 203 (20 U.S.C. 2373)--
(A) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (2)--
(I) in subparagraph (B), by
inserting ``, especially in coding and
computer programming,'' after
``integrates academic and career and
technical education instruction'';
(II) in subparagraph (C), by
inserting ``, especially in computer
programming'' after ``or high demand
occupations'';
(III) in subparagraph (E), by
inserting ``, particularly in the
technology field'' after ``in a
specific career field''; and
(IV) in subparagraph (F), by
inserting ``, particularly in computer
programming,'' after ``or high wage
employment''; and
(ii) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``,
particularly in the technology industry,''
after ``(including preapprenticeship
programs)'';
(B) in subsection (d)(1), by inserting ``,
including hardware and software'' after ``provide for
the acquisition of tech prep program equipment''; and
(C) in subsection (e)(1)--
(i) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) by redesignating clauses (iv)
and (v) as (v) and (vi), respectively;
and
(II) by inserting after clause
(iii) the following:
``(iv) complete a State or industry-
recognized certification or licensure in
computer programming;''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (C)--
(I) by redesignating clauses (iii)
and (iv) as (iv) and (v), respectively;
and
(II) by inserting after clause (ii)
the following:
``(iii) complete a State or industry-
recognized certification or licensure in
computer programming;''.
SEC. 6. TASK FORCE ON COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND CODING.
(a) Establishment of Task Force on Computer Programming and
Coding.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Education shall convene a task force to explore--
(1) mechanisms for the development of draft curricula for
elementary and secondary education with respect to computer
programming and coding;
(2) a mechanism to collect and share best practices among
educators with respect to computer programming and coding at
the elementary school and secondary school levels; and
(3) a national strategy to ensure competitiveness in
emerging STEM fields, such as computer programming and coding.
(b) Functions.--The task force shall--
(1) develop options for a collaborative model and an
organizational structure for such task force under which the
joint research and development activities may be planned,
managed, and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for
the allocation of resources among the participants of such task
force for support of such activities;
(2) identify and prioritize at least 3 challenges of
educating and training a workforce equipped to fill computer
science and engineering jobs, particularly focused on
nationally significant problems requiring collaborative and
interdisciplinary solutions;
(3) propose a process for developing a research and
development agenda for such task force to address the
challenges identified under paragraph (2);
(4) define the roles and responsibilities for the members
from each of the groups described in paragraphs (1) through (4)
of subsection (c);
(5) establish the information portal described in
subsection (e); and
(6) make recommendations for how the task force may be
funded from Federal, State, and nongovernmental sources.
(c) Composition.--In establishing the task force under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall appoint to serve on the task force an equal
number of representatives from each of the following 4 groups:
(1) The Department of Education and other relevant Federal
Government agencies.
(2) Elementary school or secondary school teachers.
(3) Institutions of higher education, including minority-
serving institutions and community colleges.
(4) Employers of individuals with expertise in computer
science and engineering.
(d) Compensation and Expenses.--Members of the task force shall
serve without compensation.
(e) Information Portal.--
(1) In general.--The task force shall establish and
maintain, an information portal which shall--
(A) include the establishment of an online,
publicly available information portal for use by
elementary schools and secondary schools and
stakeholders that directs users to key data and tools
to build or update curricula for elementary and
secondary education on coding and computer programming;
and
(B) expand and be complementary to existing Federal
efforts promoting coding and computer programming in
elementary schools and secondary schools to prepare for
high paying skilled jobs in the computer programming
field.
(2) Contents.--The information portal established under
this subsection shall direct users (who may include elementary
schools and secondary schools, academia, and private sector
stakeholders, and non-profit organizations with expertise in
coding), to coordinated and systematic information on promoting
coding and computer programming in elementary schools and
secondary schools to prepare students for high paying skilled
jobs in the computer programming field, including--
(A) best or model practices;
(B) data;
(C) case studies;
(D) indicators;
(E) scientific reports;
(F) policy recommendations for Federal, State, and
local government;
(G) guidance documents and design standards for
elementary schools and secondary schools;
(H) incentives for teachers;
(I) education initiatives;
(J) support tools, including draft curricula and
appropriate materials for teachers;
(K) public and private sources of assistance to
available to support computer science and engineering
in elementary schools and secondary schools; and
(L) such other information as the coordinating as
the task force considers appropriate.
(f) Report.--Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committees on
Education and Workforce and Oversight and Government Reform of the
House of Representatives and the Committees on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of
the Senate a report describing the findings and recommendations of the
task force.
(g) Termination.--The task force shall terminate upon the
completion of information portal report required under subsection (e)
and the transmittal of the report required under subsection (f).
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'' and
``secondary school'' have the meanings given the terms in
section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has
the meaning given the term ``junior or community college'' in
section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1058(f)).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(4) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means an institution described in section
371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 20 U.S.C.
1067q(a)).
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
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