II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1185 

To better integrate STEM education into elementary and secondary instruction and curricula, to encourage high-quality STEM professional development, and to expand current mathematics and science education research 

to include engineering education. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 4, 2015 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself and Mr. HEINRICH) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To better integrate STEM education into elementary and 

secondary instruction and curricula, to encourage highquality STEM professional development, and to expand 

current mathematics and science education research to 

include engineering education. 

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 ‘‘Educating Tomorrow’s 

5 Engineers Act of 2015’’. 


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1 TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO THE 

2 ELEMENTARY AND SEC3 ONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 

4 1965 

5 PART A—ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND 

6 ASSESSMENTS 

7 SEC. 111. ACADEMIC STANDARDS. 

8 Section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 

9 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)) is amended 

10 by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(G) INTEGRATION OF ENGINEERING

12 SKILLS AND PRACTICES INTO SCIENCE STAND13 ARDS.—Each State plan may incorporate engi14 neering design skills and practices into the 

15 science standards required under subparagraph 

16 (C).’’. 

17 PART B—PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND 

18 INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 

19 SEC. 121. TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL TRAINING AND RE20 CRUITING FUND. 

21 (a) STATE USE OF FUNDS.—Section 2113(c) of the 

22 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 

23 U.S.C. 6613(c)) is amended by adding at the end the fol24 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(19) Developing and providing professional de2 velopment and instructional materials for STEM 

3 subject areas, including computer science and engi4 neering.’’. 

5 (b) LOCAL USE OF FUNDS.—Section 2123(a) of the 

6 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 

7 U.S.C. 6623(a)) is amended— 

8 (1) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para9 graph (9); and 

10 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(10) Developing and providing professional de12 velopment and instructional materials for STEM 

13 subject areas, including computer science and engi14 neering.’’. 

15 SEC. 122. STEM PARTNERSHIPS. 

16 Part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary 

17 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6661 et seq.) is amend18 ed— 

19 (1) in the part heading, by striking ‘‘MATHE20 MATICS AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS’’ and in21 serting ‘‘STEM PARTNERSHIPS’’; 

22 (2) in section 2201— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘mathematics and science’’ 

24 each place the term appears and inserting 

25 ‘‘STEM’’; and 


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1 (B) in subsection (a)(4), by striking ‘‘engi2 neering, mathematics, and science’’ and insert3 ing ‘‘STEM’’; and 

4 (3) in section 2202— 

5 (A) in the section heading, by striking 

6 ‘‘MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE’’ and insert7 ing ‘‘STEM’’; 

8 (B) in subsection (b)(2)— 

9 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

10 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘STEM’’; 

12 (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

13 ‘‘student academic achievement in mathe14 matics and science’’ and inserting ‘‘student 

15 academic achievement in STEM’’; and 

16 (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

17 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘STEM’’; 

19 (C) in subsection (c)— 

20 (i) in each of paragraphs (1) and (2), 

21 by striking ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and 

22 inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 

23 (ii) in paragraph (3), in the matter 

24 preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 


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1 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ each place the 

2 term appears and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 

3 (iii) in paragraph (4)— 

4 (I) in the matter preceding sub5 paragraph (A), by striking ‘‘mathe6 matics, engineering, and science ma7 jors’’ and inserting ‘‘individuals with a 

8 baccalaureate degree in a STEM 

9 field’’; 

10 (II) in each of subparagraphs (A) 

11 and (C), by striking ‘‘mathematics, 

12 engineering, or science’’ each place 

13 the term appears and inserting ‘‘a 

14 STEM field’’; 

15 (III) in subparagraph (B), by 

16 striking ‘‘mathematics and science’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; and 

18 (IV) in subparagraph (D), by 

19 striking ‘‘mathematics, engineering, or 

20 science backgrounds’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘backgrounds in STEM fields’’; 

22 (iv) in paragraph (5), by striking 

23 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ each place the 

24 term appears and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 


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1 (v) in paragraph (6), by striking 

2 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘STEM’’; 

4 (vi) in paragraph (7), by striking 

5 ‘‘mathematics or science’’ each place the 

6 term appears and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 

7 (vii) in paragraph (8)— 

8 (I) by striking ‘‘mathematics and 

9 science’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 

10 (II) by striking ‘‘and engineers’’ 

11 and inserting ‘‘engineers, and other 

12 professionals in STEM fields’’; and 

13 (III) by striking ‘‘science and 

14 mathematics’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 

15 (viii) in paragraph (9), by striking 

16 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘STEM’’; and 

18 (ix) in paragraph (10)— 

19 (I) by striking ‘‘mathematics and 

20 science teachers’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘STEM teachers’’; and 

22 (II) by striking ‘‘mathematics 

23 and science careers (including engi24 neering and technology)’’ and insert25 ing ‘‘careers in STEM fields’’; 


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1 (D) in subsection (d)(2), by striking 

2 ‘‘mathematics and science teaching’’ and insert3 ing ‘‘STEM teaching’’; and 

4 (E) in subsection (e)(2)— 

5 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

6 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘STEM’’; 

8 (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 

9 ‘‘and a strategy for integrating engineering 

10 into the science assessments in accordance 

11 with section 1111(b)(3)’’ before the semi12 colon at the end; and 

13 (iii) in subparagraph (C)— 

14 (I) in clause (i), by striking 

15 ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and in16 serting ‘‘STEM’’; 

17 (II) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘in 

18 mathematics, engineering, or the 

19 sciences’’ and inserting ‘‘in a STEM 

20 field’’; and 

21 (III) in clause (iii)— 

22 (aa) by striking ‘‘mathe23 matics and science’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘STEM subjects’’; and 


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1 (bb) by striking ‘‘mathe2 matics, engineering, and science’’ 

3 and inserting ‘‘a STEM field’’. 

4 PART C—AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS 

5 SEC. 131. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING CENTERS. 

6 Section 4205(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary 

7 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7175(a)(2)) is amended 

8 by striking ‘‘mathematics and science’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘STEM’’. 

10 PART D—RURAL EDUCATION 

11 SEC. 141. RURAL AND LOW-INCOME SCHOOL PROGRAM. 

12 Section 6222(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary 

13 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7351a(a)(2)) is amend14 ed by inserting ‘‘and professional development in the area 

15 of engineering education’’ before the period at the end. 

16 PART E—GENERAL PROVISIONS 

17 SEC. 151. DEFINITIONS. 

18 Section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu19 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) is amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (42) and (43) 

21 as paragraphs (43) and (44), respectively; and 

22 (2) by inserting after paragraph (41) the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(42) STEM.—The term ‘STEM’ means— 


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1 ‘‘(A) science, technology, engineering, and 

2 mathematics; and 

3 ‘‘(B) other academic subjects that build on 

4 the subjects described in subparagraph (A), 

5 such as computer science.’’. 

6 TITLE II—AMENDMENTS TO THE 

7 EDUCATION SCIENCES RE8 FORM ACT OF 2002 

9 SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS. 

10 Section 102 of the Education Sciences Reform Act 

11 of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501) is amended— 

12 (1) by redesignating paragraph (23) as para13 graph (24); and 

14 (2) by inserting after paragraph (22) the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘(23) STEM.—The term ‘STEM’ means— 

17 ‘‘(A) science, technology, engineering, and 

18 mathematics; and 

19 ‘‘(B) other academic subjects that build on 

20 the subjects described in subparagraph (A), 

21 such as computer science.’’. 

22 SEC. 202. RESEARCH ON ENGINEERING EDUCATION. 

23 Part A of title I of the Education Sciences Reform 

24 Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9511 et seq.) is amended by add25 ing at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 121. RESEARCH ON ENGINEERING EDUCATION. 

2 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 

3 the Director, shall support, directly or through grants or 

4 contracts, research on engineering education, including 

5 studies and evaluations that— 

6 ‘‘(1) identify and assess how science inquiry 

7 and mathematical reasoning can be connected to en8 gineering design in kindergarten through grade 12 

9 curricula and teacher professional development; 

10 ‘‘(2) identify best practices and promising inno11 vations in the field of kindergarten through grade 12 

12 engineering education; and 

13 ‘‘(3) include any other information or assess14 ments the Secretary may require. 

15 ‘‘(b) DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary shall, based on 

16 the results of the research described in subsection (a), dis17 seminate information and analysis to the public, and pro18 vide technical assistance to State educational agencies, on 

19 best practices and promising innovations in the field of 

20 kindergarten through grade 12 engineering education.’’. 

21 SEC. 203. NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH. 

22 Part B of title I of the Education Sciences Reform 

23 Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9531 et seq.) is amended— 

24 (1) in section 131(b)(1)(C), by striking ‘‘mathe25 matics, science’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; and 


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1 (2) in section 133(a)(11), by striking ‘‘mathe2 matics and science’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM’’. 

Æ 


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