Partnerships for Progress and Prosperity Act

Summary: Partnerships for Progress and Prosperity Act or the P3 Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to local educational agencies&nbsp;(LEAs) and institutions of higher education for the improvement of students' education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).  Each&nbsp;grantee shall partner with an employer in a STEM field to:  assist students in obtaining internships or apprenticeships,  develop STEM coursework curricula and metrics,  carry out dual-credit courses,  provide tutoring and mentoring,  enable students and teachers to attend STEM events outside of the classroom,  provide after-school and summer STEM programs, and  purchase educational materials or equipment to facilitate STEM instruction. In awarding grants under the program, ED shall give special consideration to applicants that:  promote in-classroom engagement between STEM professionals and students;  use technology-based materials and content;  pair mentors and tutors with students struggling to meet curriculum benchmarks;  in the case of LEA applicants, serve schools in which most students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch; and  propose to use grant funds to target interventions for populations that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Each grantee shall provide matching funds equal to 50% of the grant amount.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Partnerships for Progress and 
Prosperity Act'' or the ``P3 Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) As part of their Blueprint for Action researchers at 
        Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Pathways to 
        Prosperity Network recommend creating programs designed to 
        ``combine work and academic learning in post-secondary career 
        preparation''. In a follow-up study to the original ``Pathways 
        to Prosperity'' published by Harvard's Graduate School of 
        Education in 2011, the same researchers released ``A Blueprint 
        for Action'' in June 2014.
            (2) The Executive Office of Science and Technology Policy 
        have explicitly stated a goal of strengthening America's STEM 
        workforce.
            (3) According to a study by the Manufacturing Institute, a 
        national survey of United States manufacturing executives found 
        that 83 percent of American manufacturers reported a moderate 
        or severe shortage of skilled workers.
            (4) The American Enterprise Institute further states that, 
        ``According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the percentage of 
        manufacturing workers aged 55 to 64 and the share of workers 
        older than 65 have both significantly increased since 2000. 
        Moreover, they also report that the median age of the 
        manufacturing workforce increased from 40.5 in 2000 to 44.1 in 
        2011. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers predicts that the 
        shortfall of skilled factory workers could increase to 3 
        million jobs by 2015 due to the aging manufacturing workforce 
        and the resulting retirements of older workers, at the same 
        time that an anticipated manufacturing rebound will increase 
        demand for skilled workers.''.
            (5) The 2012 Program for International Student Assessment 
        found the United States below the average score of 
        participating countries in mathematics and science. 
        Furthermore, the United States has dropped in the rankings for 
        mathematics achievement from 25th in 2009 to 36th in 2012.
            (6) NAE, along with other peer reviewed publications and 
        studies from universities around the country have examined the 
        benefits of partnerships between schools and outside 
        organizations. Partnerships for Progress and Prosperity Act 
        programs as well as experiential learning play an important 
        role in training students for the jobs of the future.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under subsection 
(h), the Secretary of Education shall award grants to eligible entities 
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, an 
eligible entity 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 which the eligible entity will partner or 
        collaborate to carry out activities under subsection (c)(2); 
        and
            (2) the activities the eligible entity will carry out under 
        subsection (c)(2) with the grant.
    (c) Uses of Funds.--
            (1) Partnership or collaboration.--An eligible entity 
        receiving a grant under this section shall carry out at least 
        one of the activities described in paragraph (2) in partnership 
        or collaboration with--
                    (A) the local, regional, or national employer 
                described in the agency's application under subsection 
                (b)(1); and
                    (B) an institution of higher education, in the case 
                of an eligible entity that is a local educational 
                agency, or a local educational agency, in the case of 
                an eligible entity that is an institution of higher 
                education.
            (2) Activities.--The activities referred to in paragraph 
        (1) are as follows:
                    (A) Assist students in being placed in internships 
                or apprenticeships with the employers with whom the 
                eligible entity is partnering or collaborating under 
                paragraph (1)(A).
                    (B) Develop the curriculum and metrics of STEM 
                coursework.
                    (C) Carry out dual-credit courses that offer both 
                secondary school credit and college credit, and 
                incorporate STEM education and STEM workplace training.
                    (D) Provide tutoring in STEM coursework and 
                mentoring programs for academic advice and assistance 
                in discussing future career opportunities in STEM 
                fields.
                    (E) Enable students and their teachers to attend 
                STEM events outside the classroom.
                    (F) Provide after-school and summer STEM programs 
                for students.
                    (G) Purchase education materials or equipment to 
                facilitate STEM instruction.
    (d) Awarding of Grants.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) carry out a rigorous evaluation of each eligible 
        entity's application under subsection (b) being considered for 
        a grant under this section to determine whether the eligible 
        entity demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research 
        findings or positive evaluation that the activity proposed to 
        be funded with the grant is likely to improve student outcomes 
        or other relevant outcomes; and
            (2) give special consideration to eligible entities that--
                    (A) promote in-classroom engagement between STEM 
                professionals and students, creating co-teaching and 
                guest-teaching opportunities;
                    (B) use technology-based instructional materials 
                and content;
                    (C) pair mentors and tutors with students 
                struggling to meet curriculum benchmarks;
                    (D) in the case of eligible entities that are local 
                educational agencies, serve schools in which the 
                majority of students are eligible to receive free or 
                reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell 
                National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.); and
                    (E) propose to use the grant to target 
                interventions for populations that are traditionally 
                underrepresented in STEM fields, including women, 
                minorities, and low-income students.
    (e) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Each eligible entity 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.--An eligible entity may partner 
        with a public and private entity that may assist the eligible 
        entity 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 an eligible entity 
        if the entity demonstrates that such requirement would result 
        in a serious financial hardship or a financial inability to 
        carry out the goals of the grant.
    (f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided to an eligible 
entity under this section shall be used to supplement, and not 
supplant, funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized 
under this section.
    (g) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        local educational agency or an institution of higher education.
            (2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``local educational agency'', 
        ``poverty line'', ``secondary school'', ``Secretary'', and 
        ``State'' have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (4) Low-income student.--The term ``low-income student'' 
        means a student whose family's taxable income for the preceding 
        year did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty line.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section 
for fiscal year 2018 and each succeeding fiscal year.