Presidential Documents

45417 

Federal Register 

Vol. 82, No. 187 

Thursday, September 28, 2017 

Title 3— 

The President 

Memorandum of September 25, 2017 

Increasing Access to High-Quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education 

Memorandum for the Secretary of Education 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby directed as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. A key priority of my Administration is to better equip 

America’s young people with the relevant knowledge and skills that will 

enable them to secure high-paying, stable jobs throughout their careers. 

With the growing role of technology in driving the American economy, 

many jobs increasingly require skills in science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics (STEM)—including, in particular, Computer Science. These 

skills open the door to jobs, strengthening the backbone of American ingenuity, driving solutions to complex problems across industries, and improving lives around the world. As part of my Administration’s commitment 

to supporting American workers and increasing economic growth and prosperity, it is critical that we educate and train our future workforce to compete 

and excel in lucrative and important STEM fields. 

Today, too many of our Nation’s K–12 and post-secondary students lack 

access to high-quality STEM education, and thus are at risk of being shut 

out from some of the most attractive job options in the growing United 

States economy. Courses in Computer Science are especially scarce in too 

many schools and communities, despite the job opportunities that these 

skills create. Nearly 40 percent of high schools do not offer physics and 

60 percent of high schools do not offer computer programming. Of the 

nearly 17,000 high schools that were accredited to offer Advanced Placement 

exams in 2015, only 18 percent were accredited to teach Advanced Placement 

Computer Science (AP–CS). Minorities and students in rural communities 

often have even less access to Computer Science education. Nationwide, 

only 34 percent of African American students and 30 percent of rural high 

school students have access to a Computer Science class. Furthermore, even 

where classes are offered, there is a serious gender gap: less than a quarter 

of the students who took the AP–CS A exam nationally in 2016 were 

girls. 

Shortages in high-quality STEM teachers at all levels, particularly in Computer Science, often drive these problems. The Department of Education, 

therefore, should prioritize helping districts recruit and train teachers capable 

of providing students with a rigorous education in STEM fields, focusing 

in particular on Computer Science. This will help equip students with 

the skills needed to obtain certifications and advanced degrees that ultimately 

lead to jobs in STEM fields. 

Sec. 2. Expanding Access to Computer Science and STEM Education. (a) 

Establish promotion of high-quality STEM education, with a particular focus 

on Computer Science, as a Department of Education priority. The Secretary 

of Education (Secretary) shall, consistent with law, establish the promotion 

of high-quality STEM education, including Computer Science in particular, 

as one of the priorities of the Department of Education. The Secretary 

shall take this priority into account, to the extent permitted by law, when 

awarding grant funds in fiscal year 2018 and in future years. 

45418 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2017 / Presidential Documents 

(b) Funding level. The Secretary shall, to the extent consistent with law, 

establish a goal of devoting at least $200 million in grant funds per year 

to the promotion of high-quality STEM education, including Computer 

Science in particular. Within 30 days of the Congress passing final appropriations for each fiscal year for which the priority established under subsection 

(a) of this section is in effect, the Secretary shall identify the grant programs 

to which the STEM priority will apply and estimate the total amount of 

such grant funds that will support high-quality STEM education, including 

Computer Science. The Secretary shall communicate plans for achieving 

this goal to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB 

Director) each fiscal year. 

(c) Explore administrative actions to promote Computer Science at the 

Department of Education. The Secretary shall explore appropriate administrative actions, to the extent consistent with law, to add or increase focus 

on Computer Science in existing K–12 and post-secondary programs. As 

part of this effort, the Secretary shall identify and take action to provide 

guidance documents and other technical assistance that could support highquality Computer Science education. 

(d) Report. Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, 

the Secretary shall submit to the OMB Director a report on the activities 

carried out during the preceding fiscal year under subsections (b) and (c) 

of this section. In particular, the report shall describe how the grant funds 

referenced in subsection (b) were spent, any administrative actions that 

were taken, guidance documents that were released, or technical assistance 

that was provided pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, and whether 

these actions succeeded in promoting and expanding access to high-quality 

STEM education, including Computer Science in particular, both generally 

and with respect to underserved populations. 

Sec. 3. Definition. The term ‘‘Computer Science’’ means the study of computers and algorithmic processes and includes the study of computing principles and theories, computer hardware, software design, coding, analytics, 

and computer applications. 

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the OMB Director relating to budgetary, administrative, 

or legislative proposals. 

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable 

law and subject to the availability of appropriations. 

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2017 / Presidential Documents 45419 

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right 

or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by 

any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, 

its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

(d) The Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21032 

Filed 9–27–17; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 4000–01–P 


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