42 U.S. Code § 6621 - Coordination of Federal STEM education

§ 6621.

Coordination of Federal STEM education

(a) Establishment

The Director shall establish a committee under the National Science and Technology Council, including the Office of Management and Budget, with the responsibility to coordinate Federal programs and activities in support of STEM education, including at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Education, and all other Federal agencies that have programs and activities in support of STEM education.

(b) [1] ResponsibilitiesThe committee established under subsection (a) shall—

(1)

coordinate the STEM education activities and programs of the Federal agencies;

(2)

coordinate STEM education activities and programs with the Office of Management and Budget;

(3)

encourage the teaching of innovation and entrepreneurship as part of STEM education activities;

(4)

review STEM education activities and programs to ensure they are not duplicative of similar efforts within the Federal government;

(5) develop, implement through the participating agencies, and update once every 5 years a 5-year STEM education strategic plan, which shall—

(A)

specify and prioritize annual and long-term objectives;

(B)

specify the common metrics that will be used to assess progress toward achieving the objectives;

(C)

describe the approaches that will be taken by each participating agency to assess the effectiveness of its STEM education programs and activities; and

(D)

with respect to subparagraph (A), describe the role of each agency in supporting programs and activities designed to achieve the objectives; and

(6)

establish, periodically update, and maintain an inventory of federally sponsored STEM education programs and activities, including documentation of assessments of the effectiveness of such programs and activities and rates of participation by women, underrepresented minorities, and persons in rural areas in such programs and activities.

(b) 

Responsibilities of OSTP

The Director shall encourage and monitor the efforts of the participating agencies to ensure that the strategic plan under subsection (b)(5) is developed and executed effectively and that the objectives of the strategic plan are met.

(c) ReportThe Director shall transmit a report annually to Congress at the time of the President’s budget request describing the plan required under subsection (b)(5). The annual report shall include—

(1)

a description of the STEM education programs and activities for the previous and current fiscal years, and the proposed programs and activities under the President’s budget request, of each participating Federal agency;

(2)

the levels of funding for each participating Federal agency for the programs and activities described under paragraph (1) for the previous fiscal year and under the President’s budget request;

(3)

an evaluation of the levels of duplication and fragmentation of the programs and activities described under paragraph (1);

(4)

except for the initial annual report, a description of the progress made in carrying out the implementation plan, including a description of the outcome of any program assessments completed in the previous year, and any changes made to that plan since the previous annual report; and

(5)

a description of how the participating Federal agencies will disseminate information about federally supported resources for STEM education practitioners, including teacher professional development programs, to States and to STEM education practitioners, including to teachers and administrators in schools that meet the criteria described in subsection (c)(1)(A) and (B) of section 7381j of this title.

(Pub. L. 111–358, title I, § 101, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3984.)

[1]  So in original. Two subsecs. (b) have been enacted.

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, also known as the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Reauthorization Act of 2010, and not as part of the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 which comprises this chapter.

Definition of STEM Education

Pub. L. 114–59, § 2, Oct. 7, 2015, 129 Stat. 540, provided that:

“For purposes of carrying out STEM education activities at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the term ‘STEM education’ means education in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.”

Definitions

Pub. L. 111–358, § 2, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3984, provided that:

“In this Act [see Tables for classification]:

“(1)Director.—

In title I [enacting this section, sections 6622 to 6624 of this title, and section 3719 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, and amending section 20144 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs], the term ‘Director’ means the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

“(2)STEM.—

The term ‘STEM’ means the academic and professional disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

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