STEM Education Act of 2014

Summary: .  STEM Education Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue to award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to support: (1) research and development of innovative out-of-school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning and emerging STEM learning environments; and (2) research that advances the field of informal STEM education.  Requires supported activities to include research and development that improves understanding of learning and engagement in informal environments and design and testing of innovative STEM resources for such environments to improve STEM learning outcomes and increase engagement for elementary and secondary school students and teachers and the public.  Amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to allow award of NSF Master Teaching Fellowships to mathematics and science teachers who possess a bachelor's degree in their field (currently limited to those with a master's degree). Requires fellowship grants to be used, in the case of Master Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bachelor's degrees in their field who are working toward a master's degree, to: (1) offer academic courses leading to a master's degree and leadership training to prepare individuals to become master teachers, and (2) offer programs both during and after matriculation to enable fellows to become highly effective mathematics and science teachers and to exchange ideas with others in their fields. Limits fellowship support during such a master's degree program to one year, with a prorated amount in the case of enrollment in a part-time program. Includes elementary or secondary school computer science teachers as mathematics and science teachers for purposes of the program of teacher recruiting and training grants known as the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Education Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF STEM EDUCATION.

    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 other academic subjects that 
build on these disciplines such as computer science.

SEC. 3. INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION.

    (a) Grants.--The Director of the National Science Foundation, 
through the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, shall 
continue to award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to support--
            (1) research and development of innovative out-of-school 
        STEM learning and emerging STEM learning environments in order 
        to improve STEM learning outcomes and engagement in STEM; and
            (2) research that advances the field of informal STEM 
        education.
    (b) Uses of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under this 
section may encompass a single STEM discipline, multiple STEM 
disciplines, or integrative STEM initiatives and shall include--
            (1) research and development that improves our 
        understanding of learning and engagement in informal 
        environments, including the role of informal environments in 
        broadening participation in STEM; and
            (2) design and testing of innovative STEM learning models, 
        programs, and other resources for informal learning 
        environments to improve STEM learning outcomes and increase 
        engagement for K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and the general 
        public, including design and testing of the scalability of 
        models, programs, and other resources.

SEC. 4. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Amendments.--Section 10A of the National Science Foundation 
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting ``or bachelor's'' 
        after ``master's'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (2)(B);
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by inserting ``for teachers with 
                        master's degrees in their field'' after 
                        ``Teaching Fellowships''; and
                            (ii) by striking the period at the end of 
                        subparagraph (B) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) in the case of National Science Foundation Master 
        Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bachelor's degrees in 
        their field and working toward a master's degree--
                    ``(A) offering academic courses leading to a 
                master's degree and leadership training to prepare 
                individuals to become master teachers in elementary and 
                secondary schools; and
                    ``(B) offering programs both during and after 
                matriculation in the program for which the fellowship 
                is received to enable fellows to become highly 
                effective mathematics and science teachers, including 
                mentoring, training, induction, and professional 
                development activities, to fulfill the service 
                requirements of this section, including the 
                requirements of subsection (e), and to exchange ideas 
                with others in their fields.'';
            (3) in subsection (e), by striking ``subsection (g)'' and 
        inserting ``subsection (h)'';
            (4) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as 
        subsections (h) through (j), respectively; and
            (5) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(g) Support for Master Teaching Fellows While Enrolled in a 
Master's Degree Program.--A National Science Foundation Master Teacher 
Fellow may receive a maximum of 1 year of fellowship support while 
enrolled in a master's degree program as described in subsection 
(c)(4)(A), except that if such fellow is enrolled in a part-time 
program, such amount shall be prorated according to the length of the 
program.''.
    (b) Definition.--Section 10(i)(5) of the National Science 
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1(i)(5)) is 
amended by inserting ``computer science,'' after ``means a science,''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 14, 2014.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.