Code Like a Girl Act

Summary: Code Like a Girl Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, or nonprofit organizations to accelerate research efforts to increase understanding of the factors that contribute to the willingness or unwillingness of girls under the age of 11 to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science) activities.  The NSF shall also award competitive grants to such institutions and organizations to enter into partnerships with local educational agencies to develop and evaluate interventions in pre-K and elementary school classrooms that seek to increase participation by such girls in computer science activities. The NSF must: (1) ensure that the materials developed under a program that are demonstrated as being effective in achieving grant goals are made available free of charge to the public on an Internet website, (2) convene an annual meeting of participating partnerships to foster greater national collaboration, and (3) furnish such partnerships with technical assistance in meeting grant program requirements. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Code Like a Girl Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Growth in the STEM workforce is dominated by new 
        computing jobs, and the Nation needs to leverage all of its 
        human capital to meet the demand. The Bureau of Labor 
        Statistics projects that, of all the new STEM occupations 
        created from 2014 to 2024, nearly \2/3\ will be computing jobs.
            (2) More work is needed to ensure women are equally 
        represented in the computer science workforce. According to the 
        Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, women held more than 51 
        percent of all professional occupations in the United States, 
        but only 26 percent of the computing-related occupations. This 
        is compared with the all-time peak of 26 percent of the 
        computing-related occupations in 1991.
            (3) The gender disparity in computer science extends down 
        through all levels of education. In 2016, only 23 percent of AP 
        Computer Science exam takers were female. The number of 
        computer science degrees awarded to women has steadily declined 
        for bachelor's degree earners from 29 percent in 1995 to just 
        18 percent in 2014.
            (4) A 2010 study funded by the National Science Foundation 
        found that a majority of both women and men scientists and 
        Ph.D. students became interested in science before middle 
        school. Women scientists in this study were more likely than 
        men to mention teachers as the source of their initial interest 
        in science, substantiating the need for teachers to engage 
        young girls in the classroom.
            (5) Gender disparities are also observed at the earliest 
        levels of education. Studies have shown that, at around 6 years 
        old, girls develop the belief that brilliance is a male 
        characteristic. This negative stereotype, once adopted, is 
        shown to have an immediate effect, as girls start to lose 
        interest in activities they perceive as requiring brilliance.
            (6) Research into the cause of the early adoption of this 
        stereotype is limited, but implicit biases held by teachers 
        have been shown to have a negative impact on girls' academic 
        achievement in math and science and on their future decisions 
        to enroll in advanced courses in these subjects.
            (7) While significant work is being done to expand access 
        to high-quality computer science education for female students 
        at the secondary and postsecondary level, there are few 
        research funding opportunities focused exclusively on girls in 
        early childhood education.
            (8) Despite the limited attention being paid to this age 
        group, research has shown that interventions with girls at an 
        early age can reduce the negative impact of gendered 
        stereotypes. Scientists have found that positive experiences 
        with robotics and computing lead to greater interest and self-
        confidence among girls, even after gender stereotypes about 
        computing have been adopted.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801), except that such term also includes preschools, after-
        school programs, and summer programs.
            (4) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
            (5) Young girls.--The term ``young girls'' means female 
        individuals who have not attained the age of 11.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall award grants on a competitive 
basis to institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, 
or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institutions, 
agencies, or organizations), to accelerate research efforts to increase 
understanding of the factors that contribute to the willingness or 
unwillingness of young girls to participate in STEM activities.
    (b) Research Areas.--Research areas funded by a grant under this 
section may include--
            (1) the role of teacher training and professional 
        development, including effective incentive structures to 
        encourage teachers to participate in such training and 
        professional development, in encouraging or discouraging young 
        girls from participating in STEM activities;
            (2) the role of implicit bias in the classroom in shaping 
        young girls' perceptions of STEM and discouraging such girls 
        from participating in STEM activities;
            (3) the role of other facets of the learning environment on 
        the willingness of young girls to participate in STEM 
        activities, including learning materials and textbooks, 
        classroom decorations, seating arrangements, use of media and 
        technology, classroom culture, and gender composition of 
        students during group work;
            (4) the role of parents and other caregivers in encouraging 
        or discouraging young girls from participating in STEM 
        activities;
            (5) the types of STEM activities that encourage greater 
        participation by young girls; and
            (6) any other activity the Director determines will 
        accomplish the goals of this section.
    (c) Grant Recipient Report.--An entity awarded a grant under this 
section shall report to the Director, at such time and in such manner 
as the Director may require, on the activities carried out and 
materials developed using such grant funds.

SEC. 5. DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF SCALABLE MODELS FOR INCREASED 
              ENGAGEMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall award grants on a competitive 
basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations 
(or consortia of such institutions or organizations), to develop and 
evaluate interventions in pre-K and elementary school classrooms that 
seek to increase participation of young girls in computer science 
activities.
    (b) Partnerships.--In order to be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an institution of higher education, nonprofit 
organization, or consortium shall enter into a partnership with one or 
more local educational agencies in carrying out the activities funded 
by such grant.
    (c) Uses of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used 
for activities that draw upon the expertise of the partner entities 
described in subsection (b) to increase participation of young girls in 
computer science activities, including--
            (1) offering training and professional development 
        programs, including summer or academic year institutes or 
        workshops, designed to strengthen the capabilities of pre-K and 
        elementary school teachers and to familiarize such teachers 
        with the role of gender bias in the classroom;
            (2) offering innovative pre-service and in-service programs 
        that instruct teachers on gender-inclusive practices for 
        teaching computing concepts;
            (3) developing distance learning programs for teachers or 
        students, including developing curricular materials, play-based 
        computing activities, and other resources for the in-service 
        professional development of teachers that are made available to 
        teachers through the internet;
            (4) developing a cadre of master teachers who will promote 
        reform and the adoption of gender-inclusive practices in 
        teaching computer science concepts in early childhood 
        education;
            (5) developing tools to evaluate activities conducted under 
        this section;
            (6) developing or adapting pre-K and elementary school 
        computer science curricular materials that incorporate 
        contemporary research on the science of learning, particularly 
        with respect to gender inclusion;
            (7) developing and offering gender-inclusive computer 
        science enrichment programs for students, including after-
        school and summer programs;
            (8) providing mentors for girls in person and through the 
        internet to support such girls in participating in computer 
        science activities;
            (9) educating the parents of girls about the difficulties 
        faced by girls to maintain an interest and desire to 
        participate in computer science activities, and enlisting the 
        help of parents in overcoming these difficulties;
            (10) acquainting girls with careers in computer science and 
        encouraging girls to consider careers in such field; and
            (11) any other activities the Director determines will 
        accomplish the goals of this section.
    (d) Grant Recipient Report.--An entity awarded a grant under this 
section shall report to the Director, at such time and in such manner 
as the Director may require, on the activities carried out and 
materials developed using such grant funds.
    (e) Evaluation Required.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Director shall 
evaluate the grant program under this section. At a minimum, such 
evaluation shall--
            (1) use a common set of benchmarks and assessment tools to 
        identify best practices and materials developed and 
        demonstrated by the partnerships described in subsection (b); 
        and
            (2) to the extent practicable, compare the effectiveness of 
        practices and materials developed and demonstrated by such 
        partnerships with those of partnerships funded by other local 
        or State government or Federal Government programs.
    (f) Dissemination of Results.--
            (1) Evaluation results.--The Director shall make publicly 
        available free of charge on an internet website and shall 
        submit to Congress the results of the evaluation required under 
        subsection (e).
            (2) Materials.--The Director shall ensure that materials 
        developed under a program funded by a grant under this section, 
        that are demonstrated to be effective in achieving the goals of 
        this section (as determined by the Director), are made publicly 
        available free of charge on an internet website, including 
        through an arrangement with an outside entity.
    (g) Annual Meeting.--The Director shall convene an annual meeting 
of the partnerships participating in a program funded by a grant under 
this section, for the purpose of fostering greater national 
collaboration.
    (h) Technical Assistance.--At the request of a partnership seeking 
a grant under this section, the Director shall provide the partnership 
with technical assistance in meeting any requirement of this section, 
including providing advice from experts on how to develop a quality 
application for such a grant.

SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Annual Report.--The Director shall submit to Congress an annual 
report on the grant programs established by sections 4 and 5.
    (b) Report on Program Expansion.--Not later than 4 years after the 
first grant is awarded under the grant programs established by sections 
4 and 5, the Director shall submit to Congress a report, based on an 
analysis of the grant recipient reports submitted to the Director 
pursuant to sections 4(c) and 5(d), that includes a recommendation for 
how to expand such grant programs.