A bill to establish a laboratory science pilot program at the National Science Foundation.

Summary: Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a pilot program designated as "Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science" to award grants to partnerships to improve laboratories and to provide instrumentation as part of a comprehensive program to enhance the quality of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology instruction at the secondary school level.

Requires grants awarded under this Act to be made to a partnership that: (1) includes an institution of higher education or a community college; (2) includes a high-need local educational agency; (3) includes a business or eligible nonprofit organization; and (5) may include a state educational agency, other public agency, national laboratory, or community-based organization.

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) To remain competitive in science and technology in the 
        global economy, the United States must increase the number of 
        students graduating from high school prepared to pursue 
        postsecondary education in science, technology, engineering, 
        and mathematics.
            (2) There is broad agreement in the scientific community 
        that learning science requires direct involvement by students 
        in scientific inquiry and that laboratory experience is so 
        integral to the nature of science that it must be included in 
        every science program for every science student.
            (3) In America's Lab Report, the National Research Council 
        concluded that the current quality of laboratory experiences is 
        poor for most students and that educators and researchers do 
        not agree on how to define high school science laboratories or 
        on their purpose, hampering the accumulation of research on how 
        to improve labs.
            (4) The National Research Council found that schools with 
        higher concentrations of non-Asian minorities and schools with 
        higher concentrations of poor students are less likely to have 
        adequate laboratory facilities than other schools.
            (5) The Government Accountability Office reported that 49.1 
        percent of schools where the minority student population is 
        greater than 50.5 percent reported not meeting functional 
        requirements for laboratory science well or at all.
            (6) 40 percent of those college students who left the 
        science fields reported some problems related to high school 
        science preparation, including lack of laboratory experience 
        and no introduction to theoretical or to analytical modes of 
        thought.
            (7) It is the national interest for the Federal Government 
        to invest in research and demonstration projects to improve the 
        teaching of laboratory science in the Nation's high schools.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 8(8) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act 
of 2002 (Public Law 107-368) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) as 
        clauses (i) through (vi), respectively, and indenting 
        appropriately;
            (2) by moving the flush language at the end 2 ems to the 
        right;
            (3) in the flush language at the end, by striking 
        ``paragraph'' and inserting ``subparagraph'';
            (4) by striking ``Initiative.--A program of'' and inserting 
        ``initiative.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A program of''; and
            (5) by inserting at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Pilot program.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In accordance with 
                        subparagraph (A)(v), the Director shall 
                        establish a pilot program designated as 
                        `Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science' 
                        to award grants to partnerships to improve 
                        laboratories and provide instrumentation as 
                        part of a comprehensive program to enhance the 
                        quality of mathematics, science, engineering, 
                        and technology instruction at the secondary 
                        school level. Grants under this subparagraph 
                        may be used for--
                                    ``(I) purchase, rental, or leasing 
                                of equipment, instrumentation, and 
                                other scientific educational materials;
                                    ``(II) maintenance, renovation, and 
                                improvement of laboratory facilities;
                                    ``(III) professional development 
                                and training for teachers;
                                    ``(IV) development of instructional 
                                programs designed to integrate the 
                                laboratory experience with classroom 
                                instruction and to be consistent with 
                                State mathematics and science academic 
                                achievement standards;
                                    ``(V) training in laboratory safety 
                                for school personnel;
                                    ``(VI) design and implementation of 
                                hands-on laboratory experiences to 
                                encourage the interest of individuals 
                                identified in section 33 or 34 of the 
                                Science and Engineering Equal 
                                Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
                                1885b) in mathematics, science, 
                                engineering, and technology and help 
                                prepare such individuals to pursue 
                                postsecondary studies in these fields; 
                                and
                                    ``(VII) assessment of the 
                                activities funded under this 
                                subparagraph.
                            ``(ii) Partnership.--Grants awarded under 
                        clause (i) shall be to a partnership that--
                                    ``(I) includes an institution of 
                                higher education or a community 
                                college;
                                    ``(II) includes a high-need local 
                                educational agency;
                                    ``(III) includes a business or 
                                eligible nonprofit organization; and
                                    ``(IV) may include a State 
                                educational agency, other public 
                                agency, National Laboratory, or 
                                community-based organization.
                            ``(iii) Federal share.--The Federal share 
                        of the cost of activities carried out using 
                        amounts from a grant under clause (i) shall not 
                        exceed 50 percent.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    The Director of the National Science Foundation shall evaluate the 
effectiveness of activities carried out under the pilot projects funded 
by the grant program established pursuant to the amendment made by 
section 2 in improving student performance in mathematics, science, 
engineering, and technology. A report documenting the results of that 
evaluation shall be submitted to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of 
the House of Representatives not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act. The report shall identify best practices and 
materials developed and demonstrated by grant awardees.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science 
Foundation to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act 
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years.