21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act

Summary: 21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Requires grantees to use grant funds to collaborate with institutions of higher education and local, regional, or national employers in STEM fields to: (1) carry out dual-credit courses that offer both secondary school and college credit and incorporate STEM education and STEM workplace training, (2) assist students in being placed in internships or apprenticeships with those employers, and (3) develop STEM curricula and metrics.  Permits grantees to use grant funds for: (1) STEM tutoring and mentoring programs; (2) STEM outside-the-classroom, after-school, or summer programs; and (3) STEM instructional materials or equipment.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Harvard Graduate School of Education's report 
        ``Pathways to Prosperity'' cites research that shows employers 
        across the country continue to see that young adults are not 
        equipped with the skills and work experience needed to succeed 
        in the 21st century workforce. In addition, research shows that 
        courses that include a vocational or work-based component best 
        prepare students to succeed in the workplace.
            (2) Numerous reports by national advisory groups, including 
        the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 
        and National Academies' committees, have highlighted the need 
        to raise student achievement in STEM fields to enable the 
        United States to maintain its competitive edge in the global 
        economy.
            (3) Nearly all of the top 30 fastest growing occupations 
        require science, technology, engineering, or mathematics 
        skills, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
            (4) Recent standardized tests show United States students' 
        mathematics and science performance is only average or below 
        average compared with their international peers. American 
        students placed 25th in mathematics and 17th in science out of 
        34 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 
        countries in the 2009 Program for International Student 
        Assessment.
            (5) Too few American students graduate from high school 
        with the interest and the preparation to successfully pursue 
        STEM degrees in college. Well over half of college students in 
        China and Japan major in STEM fields, compared with only a 
        third of students in America.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE ESEA.

    (a) Title IV.--Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:

                      ``PART D--STEM GRANT PROGRAM

``SEC. 4401. GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under subsection 
(f), the Secretary shall award grants to local educational agencies to 
improve the education of students in science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics (in this section referred to as `STEM') and prepare 
such students to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees and careers 
in such fields.
    ``(b) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, a local 
educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require, which shall include a description of--
            ``(1) the local, regional, or national employer in a STEM 
        field with whom the local educational agency will partner or 
        collaborate to carry out the required activities under 
        subsection (c)(1)(A); and
            ``(2) the dual-credit courses the will be carried out with 
        the grant under subsection (c)(1)(B).
    ``(c) Uses of Funds.--A local educational agency receiving a grant 
under this section--
            ``(1) shall use such funds to--
                    ``(A) partner or collaborate with the local, 
                regional, or national employer described in the 
                agency's application under subsection (b) to--
                            ``(i) assist students in being placed in 
                        internships or apprenticeships with such 
                        employers; and
                            ``(ii) develop the curriculum and metrics 
                        of STEM coursework; and
                    ``(B) collaborate with institutions of higher 
                education to--
                            ``(i) carry out dual-credit courses that 
                        offer both secondary school credit and college 
                        credit and incorporate STEM education and STEM 
                        workplace training;
                            ``(ii) assist students in being placed in 
                        internships or apprenticeships with the 
                        employers described in subparagraph (A); and
                            ``(iii) develop the curriculum and metrics 
                        described in subparagraph (A)(ii); and
            ``(2) may use such funds to--
                    ``(A) provide tutoring in STEM coursework and 
                mentoring programs for academic advice and assistance 
                in discussing future career opportunities in STEM 
                fields;
                    ``(B) enable students and their teachers to attend 
                STEM events outside the classroom;
                    ``(C) provide after-school and summer STEM programs 
                for students; and
                    ``(D) purchase education materials or equipment to 
                facilitate STEM instruction.
    ``(d) Matching Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each local educational agency that 
        receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-
        Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the grant. 
        Such non-Federal contribution may be provided in cash or in 
        kind.
            ``(2) Partnership authorized.--A local educational agency 
        may partner with a public and private entity that may assist 
        the local educational agency in meeting the matching 
        requirement under paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive all or part of the 
        matching requirement under paragraph (1) for a local 
        educational agency if the local educational agency demonstrates 
        that such requirement would result in a serious financial 
        hardship or a financial inability to carry out the goals of the 
        grant.
    ``(e) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided to a local 
educational agency under this section shall be used to supplement, and 
not supplant, funds that would otherwise be used for activities 
authorized under this section.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriate such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for 
fiscal year 2014 and each succeeding fiscal year.''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to part C of title IV of such Act, the following new item:

                      ``Part D--STEM Grant Program

``Sec. 4401. Grant program.''.