A bill to amend the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to authorize grants for Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science (PALS).

Summary: Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out a program of awarding grants to high-need local educational agencies to establish partnerships for access to laboratory science 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.

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 5(e) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act 
of 2002 (Public Law 107-368; 116 Stat. 3039) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(e) Fiscal Year 2007.--
            ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to the Foundation $9,839,262,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            ``(2) Specific allocation.--Of the amounts appropriated 
        pursuant to paragraph (1), $50,000,000 shall be for the 
        Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Sciences described in 
        section 10A.''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR PARTNERSHIPS FOR ACCESS TO LABORATORY 
              SCIENCES.

    Section 8 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 
2002 (Public Law 107-368; 116 Stat. 3043) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(12) Partnerships for access to laboratory science 
        (pals).--The partnerships for access to laboratory science 
        described in section 10A.''.

SEC. 3. PARTNERSHIPS FOR ACCESS TO LABORATORY SCIENCE DESCRIBED.

    The National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (Public 
Law 107-368; 116 Stat. 3043) is amended by inserting after section 10 
the following:

``SEC. 10A. PARTNERSHIPS FOR ACCESS TO LABORATORY SCIENCE (PALS).

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--
                    ``(A) Authority to make grants.--The Director shall 
                carry out a program to award grants to high-need local 
                educational agencies to establish partnerships for 
                access to laboratory science 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.
                    ``(B) Criteria for awarding grants.--Grants shall 
                be awarded under this section on a competitive, merit-
                reviewed basis.
            ``(2) Partnerships.--In order to be eligible to receive a 
        grant under this section, a high-need local educational agency 
        shall enter into a partnership that--
                    ``(A) includes an institution of higher education 
                or a community college;
                    ``(B) includes a business or eligible nonprofit 
                organization; and
                    ``(C) may include a State educational agency, other 
                public agency, National Laboratory, or community-based 
                organization.
            ``(3) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
        activities carried out using amounts from a grant under this 
        section shall not exceed 33 percent.
            ``(4) Duration.--A high-need local educational agency that 
        receives approval of a grant application submitted under this 
        section shall be eligible to receive grants under this section 
        for activities described in the application for a period of 3 
        fiscal years.
            ``(5) Plan required.--In order to be eligible for a grant 
        under this section, a high-need local educational agency shall 
        submit to the Director a plan, developed in consultation with 
        teachers, science administrators, scientists, education 
        researchers, and other individuals with expertise in laboratory 
        science and classroom instruction, for carrying out the program 
        under this section. Such plan shall--
                    ``(A) describe how the proposed laboratory 
                improvements and instrumentation are consistent with 
                State mathematics and science academic achievement 
                standards;
                    ``(B) describe how the proposed laboratory 
                improvement and instrumentation are part of a 
                comprehensive program to enhance the quality of 
                mathematics, science, engineering, and technology 
                instruction, including a description of how the 
                laboratory experiences--
                            ``(i) are designed to produce clear 
                        learning outcomes;
                            ``(ii) are sequenced to complement the 
                        classroom science instruction;
                            ``(iii) are designed to integrate science 
                        learning with science content; and
                            ``(iv) will incorporate ongoing student 
                        reflection and discussion;
                    ``(C) describe professional development and 
                training activities for teachers and school personnel 
                who will be working in the laboratory facilities;
                    ``(D) provide assurances that all safety 
                requirements as required by State or local ordinance or 
                by the Director will be met;
                    ``(E) describe how the laboratory and 
                instrumentation will be maintained after the period of 
                financial assistance provided under the grant; and
                    ``(F) describe how assessment methods will be used 
                to expand the available research literature regarding 
                the effect of laboratory science on student 
                understanding of scientific concepts and student 
                achievement.
            ``(6) Uses of funds.--Grants awarded under this section--
                    ``(A) shall be used to supplement and not supplant 
                existing programs or activities; and
                    ``(B) shall be used for activities that draw upon 
                the expertise of all partners to improve secondary 
                science education by improving laboratories and 
                providing instrumentation as part of a comprehensive 
                program to enhance the quality of mathematics, science, 
                engineering, and technology instruction at the 
                secondary school level in a manner that is consistent 
                with State mathematics and science student academic 
                achievement standards, including--
                            ``(i) development of a plan for laboratory 
                        improvement and instrumentation that is 
                        consistent with State mathematics and science 
                        academic achievement standards;
                            ``(ii) purchase, rental, or leasing of 
                        equipment, instrumentation, and other 
                        scientific educational materials;
                            ``(iii) maintenance, renovation, and 
                        improvement of laboratory facilities;
                            ``(iv) professional development and 
                        training for teachers;
                            ``(v) development of curricula and 
                        instructional programs designed to integrate 
                        the laboratory experience with classroom 
                        instruction;
                            ``(vi) training in laboratory safety for a 
                        school personnel;
                            ``(vii) 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 and 1885b) 
                        in mathematics, science, engineering, and 
                        technology and help prepare such individuals to 
                        pursue postsecondary studies in these fields;
                            ``(viii) development of tools to evaluate 
                        activities funded under this subsection; and
                            ``(ix) any other activities the Director 
                        determines will accomplish the goals of this 
                        subsection.
            ``(7) Limitation on use of funds.--Grants awarded under 
        this section shall not be used for construction of new 
        facilities.
    ``(b) Selection Process.--
            ``(1) Application.--A high-need local educational agency 
        seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application 
        to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing 
        such information as the Director may require. The application 
        shall include, at a minimum--
                    ``(A) a description of the partnership entered into 
                under subsection (a)(2) and the role that each member 
                will play in implementing the proposal;
                    ``(B) the plan described in subsection (a)(5);
                    ``(C) a description of each of the activities to be 
                carried out using amounts from the grant, together 
                with--
                            ``(i) a description of how such activities 
                        will be aligned with State mathematics and 
                        science student academic achievement standards 
                        and with other activities that promote student 
                        achievement in mathematics and science;
                            ``(ii) a description of how such activities 
                        will be based on a review of relevant research, 
                        including best practices;
                            ``(iii) a description of why such 
                        activities are expected to improve student 
                        performance and strengthen the quality of 
                        mathematics and science instruction;
                            ``(iv) a description of any activities that 
                        will encourage the interest of individuals 
                        identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science 
                        and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 1885a and 1885b) in mathematics, 
                        science, engineering, and technology and how 
                        such activities will help prepare such 
                        individuals to pursue postsecondary studies in 
                        these fields; and
                            ``(v) a description of how changes in 
                        student achievement will be assessed;
                    ``(D) a description of how the partnership will 
                assess its success; and
                    ``(E) a description of how programmatic assessments 
                will be made available to the larger research 
                community.
            ``(2) Review of applications.--In evaluating the 
        applications submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall 
        consider, at a minimum--
                    ``(A) the ability of the partnership to carry out 
                effectively the proposed programs;
                    ``(B) the degree to which activities carried out by 
                the partnership are based on relevant research, 
                including best practices, and are likely to result in 
                increased student achievement;
                    ``(C) the degree to which such activities are 
                aligned with State mathematics and science student 
                academic achievement standards;
                    ``(D) the likelihood that the partnership will 
                demonstrate activities that can be widely implemented 
                as part of larger scale reform efforts; and
                    ``(E) the extent to which the activities will 
                encourage the interest of individuals identified in 
                section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
                Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a and 1885b) in 
                mathematics, science, engineering, and technology and 
                will help prepare such individuals to pursue 
                postsecondary studies in these fields.
    ``(c) Accountability and Dissemination.--
            ``(1) Assessment required.--The Director shall evaluate the 
        program established under this section. At a minimum, such 
        evaluation shall--
                    ``(A) use a common set of benchmarks and assessment 
                tools to identify best practices and materials 
                developed and demonstrated by the partnerships; and
                    ``(B) to the extent practicable, compare the 
                effectiveness of practices and materials developed and 
                demonstrated by the partnerships authorized under this 
                section with those of partnerships funded by other 
                State or Federal agencies.
            ``(2) Dissemination.--
                    ``(A) Dissemination of results.--The Director shall 
                make the results of the evaluation required under 
                paragraph (1) available to the public and shall provide 
                such results to the Committee on Science and the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House 
                of Representatives, and to the Committee on Commerce, 
                Science, and Transportation and the Committee on 
                Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
                    ``(B) Dissemination of materials.--The Director 
                shall make widely available to the public materials 
                developed under the program established under this 
                section that are demonstrated to be effective.
    ``(d) Technical Assistance and Coordination.--
            ``(1) Technical assistance.--At the request of a high-need 
        local educational agency, the Director shall provide the agency 
        with technical assistance in meeting any requirements of this 
        section, including providing advice from experts on how to 
        develop--
                    ``(A) a quality application for a grant; and
                    ``(B) quality activities from funds received from a 
                grant under this section.
            ``(2) Annual meeting.--The Director, in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Education, shall convene an annual meeting of 
        the high-need local educational agencies that are recipients of 
        a grant under this section to foster greater national 
        collaboration.
            ``(3) Report on coordination.--The Director, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall provide to 
        the Committee on Science and the Committee on Education and the 
        Workforce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee 
        on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, an annual 
        report describing how the program authorized under this section 
        has been and will be coordinated with the program authorized 
        under part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.). The report 
        required by this paragraph shall be submitted concurrently with 
        the President's annual budget request.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) High-need local educational agency.--The term `high-
        need local educational agency' includes a local educational 
        agency eligible to receive a grant under the Rural and Low-
        Income School Program authorized by section 6221 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7351).
            ``(2) National laboratory.--The term `National Laboratory' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).''.