Pre-College Engineering Education Act

Summary: Pre-College Engineering Education Act This bill establishes a grant program to encourage, through public-private partnerships,&nbsp;the development and implementation by&nbsp;states and local educational agencies&nbsp;of sustainable engineering education programs in elementary and secondary schools. The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall administer the program. Grantees may use funds to:  research, review, and analyze the effectiveness of existing research-based instructional materials; select or develop new research-based instructional materials; teach students the overall analytical approached used in engineering; prepare students who may pursue engineering studies in college or enter careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; increase participation of underrepresented student groups in the engineering pipeline; and  provide professional development for teachers to teach pre-college engineering. The NSF shall study and report on program activities and results.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pre-College Engineering Education 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to studies by the National Academy of 
        Engineering, there is a widespread interest in improving 
        science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 
        education in elementary and secondary schools.
            (2) STEM education is important in part because it can 
        develop student interest and aptitude in subjects directly 
        relevant to the Nation's capacity for research and innovation. 
        This capacity is largely credited with supporting United States 
        economic health, national security, and quality of life.
            (3) STEM education contributes to scientific and 
        technological literacy, important attributes for all citizens.
            (4) Science is the intellectual and practical activity 
        encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior 
        of the physical and natural world through observation and 
        experiment.
            (5) Engineering is the application of scientific and 
        mathematical principles to innovate, analyze, design, evaluate, 
        and manufacture machines, processes, and systems.
            (6) The share of engineering education in the Federal STEM 
        education portfolio, according to a survey by the National 
        Science and Technology Council, is only 0.4 percent of the 
        nearly $3,500,000,000 annual expenditures.
            (7) Available evidence suggests that pre-college 
        engineering education can stimulate interest and improve 
        learning in mathematics and science as well as improve 
        understanding of engineering and technology.
            (8) Engineering education is a vital component in attaining 
        licensure as a professional engineer that requires rigorous 
        education, training, experience, and continuing education.
            (9) According to the National Academy of Engineering there 
        is relatively limited experience with engineering education in 
        elementary and secondary schools.
            (10) Some States have included engineering in their science 
        or technology and vocational standards, and many school 
        districts provide informal or after-school engineering 
        education.
            (11) The Next Generation Science Standards developed by a 
        consortium of States, the National Science Teachers 
        Association, the American Association for the Advancement of 
        Science, the National Research Council, and Achieve has 
        identified content and science and engineering practices that 
        all students should learn from kindergarten to high school 
        graduation. States and local districts will have the 
        responsibility for providing more detailed guidance to 
        classroom teachers to help students learn the key ideas in the 
        standards.
            (12) According to the National Academy of Engineering there 
        is not at present a critical mass of teachers qualified to 
        deliver engineering instruction.
            (13) It is imperative that teachers have relevant 
        professional training that coordinates concepts in engineering 
        with the diverse learning styles of students.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (2) Elementary school.--The term ``elementary school'' has 
        the meaning given that term by 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 that 
        term by section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (4) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given that term by section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (5) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has 
        the meaning given that term by section 8101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (6) STEM education.--The term ``STEM education'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 2 of the STEM Education Act 
        of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).

SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall establish a grant program to 
encourage States and local educational agencies to develop and 
implement sustainable engineering education programs in elementary and 
secondary schools through public-private partnerships to--
            (1) conduct research, review, and analyze the effectiveness 
        of existing formal and informal research-based instructional 
        materials;
            (2) select or develop new research-based instructional 
        materials;
            (3) teach students the overall analytical approach used in 
        engineering to prepare them to deal with complex technical and 
        non-technical problems and issues;
            (4) prepare students who may enter STEM-related careers;
            (5) prepare students who may pursue engineering studies in 
        college;
            (6) increase participation of underrepresented student 
        groups in the engineering pipeline; and
            (7) provide professional development for pre-service and 
        in-service teachers to teach pre-college engineering.
    (b) Eligible Recipients.--Grants under this section shall be 
provided to an institution of higher education, with at least two co-
principal investigators, one from the college of engineering and one 
from the college of education, except that if the institution does not 
have colleges of both engineering and education, faculty from a college 
of education or engineering from another institution in the area of 
jurisdiction of the same local educational agency or the same State may 
participate as a co-principal investigator.
    (c) Consortia.--Public private partnerships shall be established 
for program coordination, consisting of, but not limited to--
            (1) an institution or institutions of higher education 
        described in subsection (b);
            (2) one or more local educational agencies in the same 
        State as the institution or institutions described in paragraph 
        (1), with participation by at least three elementary or 
        secondary schools; and
            (3) one or more private sector or government organizations 
        in the same State that employ one or more engineers.
    (d) Grants.--
            (1) Duration; distribution.--Grants under this section 
        shall be awarded in amounts sufficient to cover a period of 
        four years.
            (2) First 2-year period.--
                    (A) Grant activities.--The first two years of 
                funding provided under a grant shall be used for the 
                selection, development, or both of research-based and 
                evidenced-based--
                            (i) engineering instructional materials 
                        that respond to local needs; and
                            (ii) professional training and 
                        methodologies guidelines for teachers 
                        associated with engineering concepts and 
                        approaches.
                    (B) Nature of materials.--Instructional materials 
                developed pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) shall--
                            (i) emphasize--
                                    (I) engineering fundamentals and 
                                concepts;
                                    (II) engineering design, 
                                manufacturing, and testing; and
                                    (III) essential skills such as 
                                systems thinking, creativity, teamwork, 
                                communication, and ethical 
                                considerations;
                            (ii) be designed to introduce students to 
                        modern engineering tools such as computer-aided 
                        design, computer-aided manufacturing, 
                        statistical analysis, codes and standards, 
                        human factors, and reliability analysis;
                            (iii) provide information for teachers on 
                        science inquiry activities related to 
                        engineering; and
                            (iv) be aligned with and integrated into 
                        relevant science, engineering, and mathematics 
                        standards that may exist in the State or may be 
                        developed.
            (3) Second 2-year period.--
                    (A) Pilot instructional program.--The third year of 
                funding provided under a grant shall be used for the 
                implementation in one elementary or secondary school of 
                an engineering education program--
                            (i) based on the instructional materials 
                        selected or developed under paragraph (2); and
                            (ii) using engineering students and pre-
                        service teachers from the institution or 
                        institutions described in subsection (b) as 
                        mentors for the elementary or secondary school 
                        students.
                    (B) Expanded instructional program.--The fourth 
                year of funding provided under a grant shall be used 
                for the implementation of the engineering instructional 
                education program in the remaining elementary or 
                secondary schools described in subsection (c)(2), as 
                revised based on evaluation of the third year 
                experience.
    (e) Applications.--
            (1) Required commitments.--An application for a grant under 
        this section shall demonstrate strong long-term commitment for 
        the proposed program from--
                    (A) the institution or institutions described in 
                subsection (b), through--
                            (i) providing laboratory and instructional 
                        space;
                            (ii) establishing ongoing professional 
                        training programs for pre-service and in-
                        service teachers and teachers in-residence; and
                            (iii) collaboration with the local 
                        educational agency or agencies described in 
                        subsection (c)(2), private sector or government 
                        organizations described in subsection (c)(3), 
                        and nonprofit educational enterprises, as 
                        appropriate;
                    (B) the local educational agency described in 
                subsection (c)(2) and the State, including 
                commitments--
                            (i) to provide total funding to the 
                        institution or institutions of higher education 
                        described in subsection (b) or the elementary 
                        or secondary schools described in subsection 
                        (c)(2), or both, collectively with 
                        organizations described in subparagraph (C)(i), 
                        at least as great as that provided by the grant 
                        awarded under this section;
                            (ii) to support continuance or expansion of 
                        the engineering education program after the 
                        expiration of grant funding under this section, 
                        with the goal of offering engineering education 
                        in all elementary and secondary schools under 
                        the jurisdiction of the local educational 
                        agency or agencies; and
                            (iii) for continuing collaboration with the 
                        institution or institutions described in 
                        subsection (b) and private sector or government 
                        organizations described in subsection (c)(3); 
                        and
                    (C) private sector or government organizations 
                through--
                            (i) financial support to the institution or 
                        institutions of higher education described in 
                        subsection (b) or the elementary or secondary 
                        schools described in subsection (c)(2);
                            (ii) participation of personnel in the 
                        development and implementation of the program;
                            (iii) provision of expertise, equipment, 
                        and materials;
                            (iv) provisions of guidance on 
                        instructional materials and needed supplies and 
                        equipment; or
                            (v) other support.
            (2) Selection.--A sufficient number of new grants shall be 
        made in each fiscal year, subject to the availability of 
        appropriations to achieve a measurable impact.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--No additional funds are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act. This Act shall be 
carried out using amounts otherwise made available for such purposes.

SEC. 5. STUDY.

    Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of 
Engineering for a study to--
            (1) conduct a formal review of the activities under this 
        Act and analyze the extent to which such activities will change 
        the quality, scale, equity, and impact of pre-college 
        engineering education, specifically taking into account how the 
        development of teaching guidelines and instructional materials 
        under this Act could contribute to such change;
            (2) benchmark the results with relevant recent studies 
        conducted by cognizant organizations and the National Academy 
        of Engineering; and
            (3) recommend if revisions to the program established under 
        this Act are needed to establish engineering education in all 
        secondary schools across the United States.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
annually thereafter, the Director shall provide a report to Congress on 
activities and results under this Act. Such reports shall describe--
            (1) the total number of grant applications received in each 
        year;
            (2) the number and geographic distribution of the grants 
        each year and in total;
            (3) participation of minority-serving institutions of 
        higher education such as historically black colleges and 
        universities and Hispanic-serving institutions;
            (4) participation of underrepresented student groups;
            (5) plans for collaboration among grantees;
            (6) overall program outcomes and issues of concern; and
            (7) recommendations for program revisions to achieve the 
        desired program outcome.