I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4828 

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

grants to establish STEM Innovation Networks. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 10, 2014 

Mr. GARCIA 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 award grants to establish STEM Innovation 

Networks. 

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 ‘‘Innovative STEM Net5 works Act’’ or the ‘‘I-STEM Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) According to the Council on Foreign Rela9 tions, 60 percent of U.S. employers are having difVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:57 Jun 12, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4828.IH H4828

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1 ficulties finding qualified workers to fill vacancies at 

2 their companies. 

3 (2) Office of Science and Technology and Policy 

4 states that ‘‘STEM occupations will grow 1.7 times 

5 faster than non-STEM occupations over the period 

6 from 2008 through 2018’’. 

7 (3) According to the National Governors Asso8 ciation Center for Best Practices, at all levels of 

9 educational attainment, STEM job holders earn 11 

10 percent higher wages compared with their same-de11 gree counterparts in other jobs. 

12 (4) The National Governors Association Center 

13 for Best Practices also states that ‘‘The top 10 

14 bachelor-degree majors with the highest median 

15 earnings are all in STEM fields’’. 

16 (5) According to the Harris STEM Survey, al17 though most parents of K–12 students (93 percent) 

18 believe that STEM education should be a priority in 

19 the U.S., only half (49 percent) agreed that it actu20 ally is a top priority for this country. 

21 (6) The Harris STEM Survey also states that 

22 ‘‘Only one in five STEM college students felt that 

23 their K–12 education prepared them extremely well 

24 for their college courses in STEM.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. STEM INNOVATION NETWORKS. 

2 Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

3 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by add4 ing at the end the following new part: 

5 ‘‘PART E—STEM INNOVATION NETWORKS 

6 ‘‘SEC. 2501. PURPOSE. 

7 ‘‘It is the purpose of this part to authorize a program 

8 to provide competitive grants to State educational agencies 

9 or local educational agencies to establish STEM innova10 tion networks in partnership with institutions of higher 

11 education, nonprofit organizations, other public agencies, 

12 or businesses to increase the number of students who are 

13 effectively prepared for postsecondary education and ca14 reers in STEM fields by— 

15 ‘‘(1) working with States and local educational 

16 agencies to develop comprehensive plans for identi17 fying, developing, testing, and implementing evi18 dence-based practices to provide rich STEM learning 

19 opportunities for students; and 

20 ‘‘(2) supporting the implementation of such 

21 plans by employing of wide range of strategies, de22 pending on local needs, including the recruitment, 

23 preparation, and professional development of effec24 tive STEM educators, the development and testing 

25 of teaching and learning models that enable students 

26 to successfully meet STEM-focused State academic 


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1 standards developed under section 1111, and stu2 dent engagement in STEM subjects. 

3 ‘‘SEC. 2502. GRANT PROGRAM. 

4 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts appropriated 

5 under subsection (i), the Secretary shall award grants, on 

6 a competitive basis, to eligible entities to establish STEM 

7 Innovation networks to increase student achievement in 

8 STEM subjects and increase the number of students who 

9 are effectively prepared for postsecondary education and 

10 careers in STEM fields. 

11 ‘‘(b) NUMBER OF GRANTS.—The Secretary shall 

12 award not less than 5 and not more than 10 grants under 

13 this section for each fiscal year. 

14 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec15 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 

16 that include a high-need local educational agency or a 

17 State educational agency that serves a high-need local 

18 educational agency. 

19 ‘‘(d) APPLICATION.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that de21 sires to receive a grant under this section shall sub22 mit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 

23 such manner, and containing such information as 

24 the Secretary may require. 


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1 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—An application submitted by 

2 an eligible entity under paragraph (1) shall include 

3 a description of the activities that will be carried out 

4 with the grant received under this section, and how 

5 such activities will address the needs identified by 

6 the eligible entity, with respect to preparing students 

7 for postsecondary education and careers in STEM 

8 fields, including— 

9 ‘‘(A) a description of the data for elemen10 tary schools and secondary schools in the State 

11 or States served by the eligible entity on— 

12 ‘‘(i) student achievement in the 

13 STEM subjects; 

14 ‘‘(ii) teacher evaluation results or rat15 ings in STEM subjects; and 

16 ‘‘(iii) student access to STEM sub17 jects, especially for students enrolled in 

18 high-need schools or residing in high-need 

19 communities; 

20 ‘‘(B) a review of the workforce needs in 

21 the State or States served by the eligible entity 

22 in occupations and sectors that require knowl23 edge or training in STEM subjects; 


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1 ‘‘(C) based on a review of the data de2 scribed in subparagraph (A) and the workforce 

3 needs under subparagraph (B)— 

4 ‘‘(i) an identification of the STEM 

5 subjects that the eligible entity will address 

6 with the grant funds; and 

7 ‘‘(ii) a description of the activities the 

8 eligible entity will carry out to improve in9 struction in such STEM subjects using evi10 dence-based programs of instruction that 

11 are aligned with State academic standards 

12 and assessments developed under section 

13 1111; 

14 ‘‘(D) a description of how the activities 

15 carried out with the grant funds will integrate 

16 with informal STEM programs; 

17 ‘‘(E) results from an analysis carried out 

18 before the submission of such application by the 

19 eligible entity or a member of the eligible entity 

20 of STEM subject education quality and out21 comes in the State or States served by the eligi22 ble entity, if available; 

23 ‘‘(F) whether the eligible entity will pro24 vide matching funds from private sources 

25 (which are not Federal, State, or local sources) 


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1 to carry out the activities under subsection (e); 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(G) a description of how the activities 

4 carried out with the grant funds will be coordi5 nated with other Federal, State, and local pro6 grams and activities relating to STEM, and 

7 how the activities carried out with the grant 

8 funds may improve or benefit such other pro9 grams and activities. 

10 ‘‘(e) USES OF FUNDS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity 

12 shall use a grant received under this section to es13 tablish and maintain STEM innovation networks to 

14 effectively prepare students for postsecondary edu15 cation and careers in STEM fields by carrying out 

16 the following: 

17 ‘‘(A) Increasing student awareness about 

18 STEM career pathways that reflect the STEM 

19 workforce needs identified under subsection 

20 (d)(2)(B). 

21 ‘‘(B) Developing statewide plans that inte22 grate and align workforce needs with education 

23 and training programs that prepare students 

24 for college degree pathways and careers in 

25 STEM fields, which result in 2-year degrees, 


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1 trade certifications, or other measures of 

2 STEM-specific workforce skills. 

3 ‘‘(C) Identifying points of weakness and 

4 strength of State STEM education efforts, 

5 prioritizing strategies for addressing problem 

6 areas with respect to such efforts, and commu7 nicating the needs of the State or States served 

8 by the eligible entity. 

9 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—An eligible en10 tity may use a grant received under this section to 

11 carry out the following: 

12 ‘‘(A) Promoting and developing in school 

13 and out-of-school curricular tools and profes14 sional development for STEM educators at the 

15 elementary school and secondary school levels. 

16 ‘‘(B) Providing induction and mentoring 

17 services to new teachers in STEM subjects that 

18 the eligible entity identifies under subsection 

19 (d)(2)(C). 

20 ‘‘(C) Promoting and developing rigorous 

21 undergraduate preservice teacher programs at 

22 institutions of higher education that emphasize 

23 STEM content. 

24 ‘‘(D) Supporting the participation of ele25 mentary school and secondary school students 


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1 (especially students enrolled in high-need 

2 schools or residing in high-need communities) 

3 in competitions, out-of-school activities, and 

4 field experiences related to STEM subjects. 

5 ‘‘(E) Assisting in the implementation and 

6 assessment of rigorous career and college ready 

7 standards in STEM education for students in 

8 prekindergarten through grade 12. 

9 ‘‘(F) Developing STEM-related education 

10 and workforce training programs in secondary 

11 schools and community colleges to reflect the 

12 needs of the local community. 

13 ‘‘(f) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds received 

14 under this part shall be used to supplement, and not sup15 plant, funds that would otherwise be used for activities 

16 authorized under this part. 

17 ‘‘(g) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—A State that re18 ceives funds under this part for a fiscal year shall main19 tain the fiscal effort provided by the State for the STEM 

20 subjects supported by the funds under this part at a level 

21 equal to or greater than the level of such fiscal effort for 

22 the preceding fiscal year. 

23 ‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en25 tity’ means 1 or more State educational agencies or 


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1 local educational agencies in partnership with 1 or 

2 more of the following entities that have a dem3 onstrated record of success in improving student 

4 achievement in STEM subjects: 

5 ‘‘(A) A nonprofit organization. 

6 ‘‘(B) A business. 

7 ‘‘(C) A STEM faculty or teacher training 

8 department of an institution of higher edu9 cation. 

10 ‘‘(D) An educational service agency. 

11 ‘‘(E) Another entity. 

12 ‘‘(2) COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The term ‘com13 munity college’ has the meaning given the term in 

14 section 3301. 

15 ‘‘(3) HIGH-NEED COMMUNITY.—The term 

16 ‘high-need community’ has the meaning given the 

17 term in section 2151(e)(9). 

18 ‘‘(4) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN19 CY.—The term ‘high-need local educational agency’ 

20 has the meaning given the term in section 2102. 

21 ‘‘(5) HIGH-NEED SCHOOL.—The term ‘high22 need school’ has the meaning given the term in sec23 tion 2312. 

24 ‘‘(6) INFORMAL STEM PROGRAM.—The term 

25 ‘informal STEM program’ means a STEM program 


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1 that takes place outside of a standard school setting, 

2 and may include an afterschool, out-of-school, sum3 mer, or other STEM education program that takes 

4 place outside of the regular school day in a school 

5 setting or other learning environment. 

6 ‘‘(7) STEM.—The term ‘STEM’ means science, 

7 technology, engineering, or mathematics, including 

8 other academic subjects or fields— 

9 ‘‘(A) that build on those disciplines, such 

10 as computer science; or 

11 ‘‘(B) that a State identifies as important 

12 to the workforce of the State. 

13 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

14 are authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal 

15 year 2015 and each succeeding fiscal year.’’. 

16 SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 

17 The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary 

18 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 

19 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating 

20 to part D of title II the following: 

‘‘PART E—STEM INNOVATION NETWORKS

‘‘Sec. 2501. Purpose. 

‘‘Sec. 2502. Grant program.’’. 

Æ 


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