I-STEM Act

Summary: Innovative STEM Networks Act or the I-STEM Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states or local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) innovation networks in partnership with nonprofit organizations, businesses, institutions of higher education (IHEs), educational service agencies, or other entities to prepare students for postsecondary education and careers in the STEM fields. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) award no less than 5 and no more than 10 of those grants each fiscal year, and (2) give priority to grantees that include or serve a high-need LEA. Requires the grants to be used to:    increase student awareness about STEM career pathways that reflect STEM workforce needs in the area,   develop statewide plans that integrate and align workforce needs with STEM education and training programs that provide students with STEM-specific skills and credentials, and   identify the strengths and weaknesses in state STEM education efforts and prioritize strategies to address those weaknesses.  Authorizes the grants to be used to:  promote and develop in-school and out-of-school curricular tools and professional development for STEM educators at the elementary and secondary school level; provide induction and mentoring services to new teachers in STEM subjects; promote and develop rigorous undergraduate pre-service teacher programs at IHEs that emphasize STEM content; support the participation of elementary and secondary school students in STEM-related competitions, out-of-school activities, and field experiences; assist in the implementation and assessment of rigorous career and college ready standards in STEM education for students in prekindergarten through grade 12; and develop STEM-related education and workforce training programs in secondary schools and community colleges that reflect local community needs. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Innovative STEM Networks Act'' or 
the ``I-STEM Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the Council on Foreign Relations, 60 
        percent of U.S. employers are having difficulties finding 
        qualified workers to fill vacancies at their companies.
            (2) Office of Science and Technology and Policy states that 
        ``STEM occupations will grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM 
        occupations over the period from 2008 through 2018''.
            (3) According to the National Governors Association Center 
        for Best Practices, at all levels of educational attainment, 
        STEM job holders earn 11 percent higher wages compared with 
        their same-degree counterparts in other jobs.
            (4) The National Governors Association Center for Best 
        Practices also states that ``The top 10 bachelor-degree majors 
        with the highest median earnings are all in STEM fields''.
            (5) According to the Harris STEM Survey, although most 
        parents of K-12 students (93 percent) believe that STEM 
        education should be a priority in the U.S., only half (49 
        percent) agreed that it actually is a top priority for this 
        country.
            (6) The Harris STEM Survey also states that ``Only one in 
        five STEM college students felt that their K-12 education 
        prepared them extremely well for their college courses in 
        STEM.''.

SEC. 3. STEM INNOVATION NETWORKS.

    Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
part:

                   ``PART E--STEM INNOVATION NETWORKS

``SEC. 2501. PURPOSE.

    ``It is the purpose of this part to authorize a program to provide 
competitive grants to State educational agencies or local educational 
agencies to establish STEM innovation networks in partnership with 
institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, other public 
agencies, or businesses to increase the number of students who are 
effectively prepared for postsecondary education and careers in STEM 
fields by--
            ``(1) working with States and local educational agencies to 
        develop comprehensive plans for identifying, developing, 
        testing, and implementing evidence-based practices to provide 
        rich STEM learning opportunities for students; and
            ``(2) supporting the implementation of such plans by 
        employing of wide range of strategies, depending on local 
        needs, including the recruitment, preparation, and professional 
        development of effective STEM educators, the development and 
        testing of teaching and learning models that enable students to 
        successfully meet STEM-focused State academic standards 
        developed under section 1111, and student engagement in STEM 
        subjects.

``SEC. 2502. GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under subsection 
(i), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
eligible entities to establish STEM Innovation networks to increase 
student achievement in STEM subjects and increase the number of 
students who are effectively prepared for postsecondary education and 
careers in STEM fields.
    ``(b) Number of Grants.--The Secretary shall award not less than 5 
and not more than 10 grants under this section for each fiscal year.
    ``(c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that include a high-
need local educational agency or a State educational agency that serves 
a high-need local educational agency.
    ``(d) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity that desires to 
        receive a grant under this section shall submit to the 
        Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--An application submitted by an eligible 
        entity under paragraph (1) shall include a description of the 
        activities that will be carried out with the grant received 
        under this section, and how such activities will address the 
        needs identified by the eligible entity, with respect to 
        preparing students for postsecondary education and careers in 
        STEM fields, including--
                    ``(A) a description of the data for elementary 
                schools and secondary schools in the State or States 
                served by the eligible entity on--
                            ``(i) student achievement in the STEM 
                        subjects;
                            ``(ii) teacher evaluation results or 
                        ratings in STEM subjects; and
                            ``(iii) student access to STEM subjects, 
                        especially for students enrolled in high-need 
                        schools or residing in high-need communities;
                    ``(B) a review of the workforce needs in the State 
                or States served by the eligible entity in occupations 
                and sectors that require knowledge or training in STEM 
                subjects;
                    ``(C) based on a review of the data described in 
                subparagraph (A) and the workforce needs under 
                subparagraph (B)--
                            ``(i) an identification of the STEM 
                        subjects that the eligible entity will address 
                        with the grant funds; and
                            ``(ii) a description of the activities the 
                        eligible entity will carry out to improve 
                        instruction in such STEM subjects using 
                        evidence-based programs of instruction that are 
                        aligned with State academic standards and 
                        assessments developed under section 1111;
                    ``(D) a description of how the activities carried 
                out with the grant funds will integrate with informal 
                STEM programs;
                    ``(E) results from an analysis carried out before 
                the submission of such application by the eligible 
                entity or a member of the eligible entity of STEM 
                subject education quality and outcomes in the State or 
                States served by the eligible entity, if available;
                    ``(F) whether the eligible entity will provide 
                matching funds from private sources (which are not 
                Federal, State, or local sources) to carry out the 
                activities under subsection (e); and
                    ``(G) a description of how the activities carried 
                out with the grant funds will be coordinated with other 
                Federal, State, and local programs and activities 
                relating to STEM, and how the activities carried out 
                with the grant funds may improve or benefit such other 
                programs and activities.
    ``(e) Uses of Funds.--
            ``(1) Required activities.--An eligible entity shall use a 
        grant received under this section to establish and maintain 
        STEM innovation networks to effectively prepare students for 
        postsecondary education and careers in STEM fields by carrying 
        out the following:
                    ``(A) Increasing student awareness about STEM 
                career pathways that reflect the STEM workforce needs 
                identified under subsection (d)(2)(B).
                    ``(B) Developing statewide plans that integrate and 
                align workforce needs with education and training 
                programs that prepare students for college degree 
                pathways and careers in STEM fields, which result in 2-
                year degrees, trade certifications, or other measures 
                of STEM-specific workforce skills.
                    ``(C) Identifying points of weakness and strength 
                of State STEM education efforts, prioritizing 
                strategies for addressing problem areas with respect to 
                such efforts, and communicating the needs of the State 
                or States served by the eligible entity.
            ``(2) Authorized activities.--An eligible entity may use a 
        grant received under this section to carry out the following:
                    ``(A) Promoting and developing in school and out-
                of-school curricular tools and professional development 
                for STEM educators at the elementary school and 
                secondary school levels.
                    ``(B) Providing induction and mentoring services to 
                new teachers in STEM subjects that the eligible entity 
                identifies under subsection (d)(2)(C).
                    ``(C) Promoting and developing rigorous 
                undergraduate preservice teacher programs at 
                institutions of higher education that emphasize STEM 
                content.
                    ``(D) Supporting the participation of elementary 
                school and secondary school students (especially 
                students enrolled in high-need schools or residing in 
                high-need communities) in competitions, out-of-school 
                activities, and field experiences related to STEM 
                subjects.
                    ``(E) Assisting in the implementation and 
                assessment of rigorous career and college ready 
                standards in STEM education for students in 
                prekindergarten through grade 12.
                    ``(F) Developing STEM-related education and 
                workforce training programs in secondary schools and 
                community colleges to reflect the needs of the local 
                community.
    ``(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds received under this part 
shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, funds that would 
otherwise be used for activities authorized under this part.
    ``(g) Maintenance of Effort.--A State that receives funds under 
this part for a fiscal year shall maintain the fiscal effort provided 
by the State for the STEM subjects supported by the funds under this 
part at a level equal to or greater than the level of such fiscal 
effort for the preceding fiscal year.
    ``(h) Definitions.--
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means 1 
        or more State educational agencies or local educational 
        agencies in partnership with 1 or more of the following 
        entities that have a demonstrated record of success in 
        improving student achievement in STEM subjects:
                    ``(A) A nonprofit organization.
                    ``(B) A business.
                    ``(C) A STEM faculty or teacher training department 
                of an institution of higher education.
                    ``(D) An educational service agency.
                    ``(E) Another entity.
            ``(2) Community college.--The term `community college' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 3301.
            ``(3) High-need community.--The term `high-need community' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 2151(e)(9).
            ``(4) High-need local educational agency.--The term `high-
        need local educational agency' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 2102.
            ``(5) High-need school.--The term `high-need school' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 2312.
            ``(6) Informal stem program.--The term `informal STEM 
        program' means a STEM program that takes place outside of a 
        standard school setting, and may include an afterschool, out-
        of-school, summer, or other STEM education program that takes 
        place outside of the regular school day in a school setting or 
        other learning environment.
            ``(7) STEM.--The term `STEM' means science, technology, 
        engineering, or mathematics, including other academic subjects 
        or fields--
                    ``(A) that build on those disciplines, such as 
                computer science; or
                    ``(B) that a State identifies as important to the 
                workforce of the State.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2015 and each succeeding 
fiscal year.''.

SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to part D of title II the following:

                   ``Part E--STEM Innovation Networks

``Sec. 2501. Purpose.
``Sec. 2502. Grant program.''.