I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4366 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct 

the Secretary of Education to award grants for science, technology, 

engineering, and math education programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 17, 2012 

Ms. FUDGE (for herself, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. GENE GREEN of 

Texas, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. RICHARDSON, Ms. SEWELL, and Mr. FILNER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award 

grants for science, technology, engineering, and math 

education programs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Project Ready STEM 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Minorities are seriously underrepresented in 

2 the science and engineering workforce in the United 

3 States, with only 4 percent of the Black population 

4 and slightly over 4 percent of the Hispanic popu5 lation participating in the STEM workforce. 

6 (2) The number of degrees awarded in the 

7 fields of science, technology, engineering, and math 

8 (referred to in this Act as ‘‘STEM’’) in the United 

9 States is stagnant even though employment projec10 tions forecast a 17-percent growth in STEM fields 

11 over the next decade. 

12 (3) Twenty percent of Black college students 

13 enter college with STEM majors, but only 15 per14 cent actually receive a bachelor’s degree in a STEM 

15 major. 

(4) Nearly 1 16 ⁄4 of Black public school students 

17 are interested in STEM, but are not proficient in 

18 math. 

19 (5) Since 1990, mathematic scores on the as20 sessments conducted by the National Assessment of 

21 Education Progress have increased for all students, 

22 but White students have average scores 26 points 

23 higher than Black and Hispanic students. 

24 (6) After school programs play an important 

25 role in addressing the achievement gap in underVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:56 Apr 18, 2012 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4366.IH H4366

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1 served communities. Studies demonstrate that 

2 STEM learning during the school day is necessary 

3 but not sufficient for life-long STEM literacy. 

4 (7) As many as 8,400,000 students are enrolled 

5 in after school programs. Ethnic minority children 

6 are more likely than non-minority children to partici7 pate in after school programs. While 15 percent of 

8 all students are enrolled in after school programs, 

9 24 percent of Black students and 21 percent of His10 panic students are enrolled in such programs. 

11 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to prepare 

12 middle school and secondary school students to be ready 

13 for opportunities in the STEM fields in college and in ca14 reers through strong after school, summer, and weekend 

15 programs that focus on STEM education. 

16 SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO ESEA FOR STEM GRANTS. 

17 Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

18 Act of 1964 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended— 

19 (1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘AND STEM

20 GRANTS’’ after ‘‘PARTNERSHIPS’’; 

21 (2) by inserting after the heading of part B the 

22 following: 

23 ‘‘Subpart 1—Math and Science Partnerships’’; 

24 and 


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1 (3) by inserting after section 2203 the following 

2 new subpart: 

3 ‘‘Subpart 2—STEM Grants 

4 ‘‘SEC. 2211. PROJECT READY STEM GRANT PROGRAM. 

5 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary is authorized 

6 to award grants, to be known as ‘Project Ready STEM 

7 Program’ grants, to national intermediaries to establish 

8 after school, summer, and weekend programs that focus 

9 on science, technology, engineering, and math (referred to 

10 in this section as ‘STEM’) education. 

11 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—A national intermediary seeking 

12 a grant under this section shall submit an application to 

13 the Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing 

14 such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, 

15 including the following: 

16 ‘‘(1) The amount requested and the proposed 

17 use of the funds. 

18 ‘‘(2) A description of how the national inter19 mediary will require a community-based affiliate op20 erating a Project Ready STEM Program to provide 

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘(A) A program description, including a 

23 description of— 

24 ‘‘(i) the project-based learning that 

25 the program will use and the applicability 


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1 of such projects to students’ lives after 

2 graduation from secondary school; 

3 ‘‘(ii) the academic instruction, re4 search model, or curriculum that the pro5 gram will use; and 

6 ‘‘(iii) any service-learning opportuni7 ties that will be available to students. 

8 ‘‘(B) Evidence that the Project Ready 

9 STEM Program will primarily serve students 

10 who are traditionally underrepresented in 

11 STEM field careers. 

12 ‘‘(C) A description of the student recruit13 ment plan, student retention plan, and parental 

14 engagement plan. 

15 ‘‘(D) A description of the professional de16 velopment and training that the community17 based affiliate will provide to its Project Ready 

18 STEM Program staff. 

19 ‘‘(E) A description of the community-based 

20 affiliate’s collaboration with an institution of 

21 higher education (as defined in section 101 of 

22 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

23 10001)). 

24 ‘‘(F) A description of how the community25 based affiliate will enable students who particiVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:56 Apr 18, 2012 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4366.IH H4366

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1 pate in the program to achieve the goals in sub2 section (c). 

3 ‘‘(c) GOALS.—The goals of the Project Ready STEM 

4 Programs are the following: 

5 ‘‘(1) To increase awareness of and exposure to 

6 current science content, scientific processes, and 

7 tools for students who are traditionally underrep8 resented in STEM field careers. 

9 ‘‘(2) To provide STEM learning that is con10 nected to workforce skills that are essential in the 

11 21st century. 

12 ‘‘(3) To increase on time grade promotion, the 

13 number of students who graduate high school, and 

14 the number of students who pursue opportunities in 

15 STEM fields. 

16 ‘‘(4) To increase enrollment in and completion 

17 of more STEM related coursework in school for stu18 dents who are traditionally underrepresented in 

19 STEM field careers. 

20 ‘‘(5) To increase awareness of students who are 

21 traditionally underrepresented in STEM field ca22 reers of the opportunities after graduation from sec23 ondary school in STEM fields, including college ma24 jors in STEM and careers in STEM. 


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1 ‘‘(6) For students to have the experience of 

2 interacting with staff who demonstrate a positive at3 titude toward STEM fields. 

4 ‘‘(7) To facilitate project-based learning and 

5 service-learning. 

6 ‘‘(d) ALLOCATION.—A national intermediary that re7 ceives a grant under this section shall reserve— 

8 ‘‘(1) not more than 25 percent to provide tech9 nical and administrative assistance to and collect 

10 data from its community-based affiliates to which it 

11 makes subgrants; 

12 ‘‘(2) not less than 50 percent for subgrants to 

13 community-based affiliates that have demonstrated 

14 effectiveness in operating STEM programs in order 

15 for such affiliates to expand such STEM programs 

16 to reach more students who are traditionally under17 represented in STEM field careers; and 

18 ‘‘(3) not less than 25 percent for subgrants to 

19 community-based affiliates that do not operate 

20 STEM programs in order for such affiliates that 

21 seek to develop new STEM programs that are con22 sistent with the goals of this section to develop and 

23 establish such new STEM programs. 

24 ‘‘(e) SUBGRANTS TO COMMUNITY-BASED AFFILI25 ATES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—A community-based affil2 iate seeking a subgrant shall submit an application 

3 to its national intermediary at such time, in such 

4 form, and containing such information as the na5 tional intermediary may reasonably require. 

6 ‘‘(2) USES OF FUNDS.—A community-based af7 filiate that receives a subgrant under this section to 

8 operate a Project Ready STEM Program shall oper9 ate an after school, summer, or weekend program 

10 that focuses on STEM education and primarily 

11 serves students who are traditionally underrep12 resented in STEM field careers. Such program shall 

13 include the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) Educational services that include— 

15 ‘‘(i) an initial assessment of students’ 

16 progress in math, science, and reading; 

17 ‘‘(ii) remediation and educational en18 richment services; and 

19 ‘‘(iii) helping students to improve 

20 their study skills. 

21 ‘‘(B) Project-based learning opportunities. 

22 ‘‘(C) Individualized instruction and track23 ing of student progress that is aligned with in24 school performance. 


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1 ‘‘(3) COLLABORATION.—A community-based af2 filiate that receives a subgrant under this section 

3 shall collaborate with an institution of higher edu4 cation to provide the services described in paragraph 

5 (2). 

6 ‘‘(f) REPORTS.— 

7 ‘‘(1) SECRETARY REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The 

8 Secretary shall submit a report annually to the Com9 mittee on Education and the Workforce in the 

10 House of Representatives and the Committee on 

11 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Sen12 ate on the progress that national intermediaries and 

13 their community-based affiliates operating Project 

14 Ready STEM Programs have made toward achieving 

15 the goals in subsection (c). 

16 ‘‘(2) NATIONAL AFFILIATE REPORT TO THE

17 SECRETARY.—A national intermediary receiving a 

18 grant under this section shall submit a report annu19 ally to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 

20 and containing such information as the Secretary 

21 may require, including the progress that its commu22 nity-based affiliates operating Project Ready STEM 

23 Programs have made toward achieving the goals in 

24 subsection (c). 


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1 ‘‘(3) COMMUNITY-BASED AFFILIATE REPORT TO

2 ITS NATIONAL INTERMEDIARY.—A community-based 

3 affiliate that receives a subgrant under this section 

4 shall submit a report annually to the national inter5 mediary that awarded such subgrant at such time, 

6 in such manner, and containing such information as 

7 the national intermediary may require, including the 

8 progress its Project Ready STEM Program has 

9 made toward achieving the goals in subsection (c). 

10 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 ‘‘(1) COMMUNITY-BASED AFFILIATE.—The term 

12 ‘community-based affiliate’ means a community13 based organization (as defined in section 9101) that 

14 is an affiliate of a national intermediary. 

15 ‘‘(2) NATIONAL INTERMEDIARY.—The term 

16 ‘national intermediary’ means a national private 

17 nonprofit organization that— 

18 ‘‘(A) has a network comprised of commu19 nity-based affiliates in not less than 50 urban 

20 communities; 

21 ‘‘(B) has demonstrated expertise and effec22 tiveness in overseeing programs to help middle 

23 school and secondary school students succeed, 

24 including programs to help such students be25 come college-ready and career-ready; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) has operated in not less than 25 

2 States continuously for not less than 20 years. 

3 ‘‘(3) PROJECT-BASED LEARNING.—The term 

4 ‘project-based learning’ means learning through a 

5 broad project that includes instruction, substantive 

6 content, and reflection, with the goal that students 

7 who participate in the project will achieve a concrete 

8 goal or complete a project. 

9 ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

10 is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

11 out this section— 

12 ‘‘(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; 

13 ‘‘(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; 

14 ‘‘(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and 

15 ‘‘(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.’’. 

Æ 


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