I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1343 
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 
MARCH 21, 2013 
Ms. FUDGE 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Project Ready STEM 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Employment projections forecast a 17 per-
cent growth in the STEM fields over the next dec-
ade. 
(2) Ninety-two percent of STEM occupations 
will require at least some post-secondary education. 
(3) While the number of degrees awarded in 
STEM fields has increased steadily since the 1960s, 
the overall share of STEM degrees awarded has ac-
tually shrunk in comparison to all degrees conferred. 
(4) Internationally, a larger proportion of all 
degrees awarded are in the STEM fields. While 16 
percent of degrees awarded in the United States are 
in STEM fields, nearly 50 percent of degrees award-
ed in China, 38 percent in South Korea, and 28 per-
cent in Germany are in STEM fields. 
(5) Minorities are seriously underrepresented in 
the science and engineering workforce in the United 
States, with just under 6 percent of Blacks and over 
5 percent of Hispanics participating in the STEM 
workforce. 
(6) Twenty-one percent of Black college stu-
dents enter college with STEM majors, but only 16 
percent actually receive a bachelor’s degree in a 
STEM major. 
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(7) Over 1⁄2 of Black students that enroll in a 
4-year university are interested in STEM, but are 
not proficient in math. 
(8) Since 1990, mathematic scores on the as-
sessments conducted by the National Assessment of 
Education Progress have increased for all students, 
but White students have average scores 27 points 
higher than Black and Hispanic students. 
(9) After school programs play an important 
role in addressing the achievement gap in under-
served 
communities. 
Studies 
demonstrate 
that 
STEM learning during the school day is necessary 
but not sufficient for life-long STEM literacy. 
(10) As many as 8,400,000 students are en-
rolled in after school programs. Ethnic minority chil-
dren are more likely than non-minority children to 
participate in after school programs. While 15 per-
cent of all students are enrolled in after school pro-
grams, 24 percent of Black students and 21 percent 
of Hispanic students are enrolled in such programs. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to prepare 
middle school and secondary school students to be ready 
for opportunities in the STEM fields in college and in ca-
reers through strong after school, summer, and weekend 
programs that focus on STEM education. 
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SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO ESEA FOR STEM GRANTS. 
Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1964 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘AND STEM 
GRANTS’’ after ‘‘PARTNERSHIPS’’; 
(2) by inserting after the heading of part B the 
following: 
‘‘Subpart 1—Math and Science Partnerships’’; 
and 
(3) by inserting after section 2203 the following 
new subpart: 
‘‘Subpart 2—STEM Grants 
‘‘SEC. 2211. PROJECT READY STEM GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary is authorized 
to award grants, to be known as ‘Project Ready STEM 
Program’ grants, to national and regional intermediaries 
to establish in-school, after school, summer, and weekend 
programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, 
and math (referred to in this section as ‘STEM’) edu-
cation. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—A national or regional inter-
mediary seeking a grant under this section shall submit 
an application to the Secretary at such time, in such form, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may rea-
sonably require, including the following: 
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‘‘(1) The amount requested and the proposed 
use of the funds. 
‘‘(2) A description of how the national or re-
gional intermediary will require a community-based 
affiliate operating a Project Ready STEM Program 
to provide the following: 
‘‘(A) A program description, including a 
description of— 
‘‘(i) the project-based learning that 
the program will use and the applicability 
of such projects to students’ lives after 
graduation from secondary school; 
‘‘(ii) the academic instruction, re-
search model, or curriculum that the pro-
gram will use; and 
‘‘(iii) any service-learning opportuni-
ties that will be available to students. 
‘‘(B) Evidence that the Project Ready 
STEM Program will primarily serve students 
who are traditionally underrepresented in 
STEM field careers. 
‘‘(C) A description of the student recruit-
ment plan, student retention plan, and parental 
engagement plan. 
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‘‘(D) A description of the professional de-
velopment and training that the community- 
based affiliate will provide to its Project Ready 
STEM Program staff. 
‘‘(E) A description of the community-based 
affiliate’s collaboration with an institution of 
higher education (as defined in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
10001)). 
‘‘(F) A description of how the community- 
based affiliate will enable students who partici-
pate in the program to achieve the goals in sub-
section (c). 
‘‘(c) GOALS.—The goals of the Project Ready STEM 
Programs are the following: 
‘‘(1) To increase awareness of and exposure to 
current science content, scientific processes, and 
tools for students who are traditionally underrep-
resented in STEM field careers. 
‘‘(2) To provide STEM learning that is con-
nected to workforce skills that are essential in the 
21st century. 
‘‘(3) To increase on time grade promotion, the 
number of students who graduate high school, and 
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the number of students who pursue opportunities in 
STEM fields. 
‘‘(4) To increase enrollment in and completion 
of more STEM related coursework in school for stu-
dents who are traditionally underrepresented in 
STEM field careers. 
‘‘(5) To increase awareness of students who are 
traditionally underrepresented in STEM field ca-
reers of the opportunities after graduation from sec-
ondary school in STEM fields, including college ma-
jors in STEM and careers in STEM. 
‘‘(6) For students to have the experience of 
interacting with staff who demonstrate a positive at-
titude toward STEM fields. 
‘‘(7) To facilitate project-based learning and 
service-learning. 
‘‘(d) ALLOCATION.—A national or regional inter-
mediary that receives a grant under this section shall re-
serve— 
‘‘(1) not more than 25 percent to provide tech-
nical and administrative assistance to and collect 
data from its community-based affiliates to which it 
makes subgrants; 
‘‘(2) not less than 50 percent for subgrants to 
community-based affiliates that have demonstrated 
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effectiveness in operating STEM programs in order 
for such affiliates to expand such STEM programs 
to reach more students who are traditionally under-
represented in STEM field careers; and 
‘‘(3) not less than 25 percent for subgrants to 
community-based affiliates that do not operate 
STEM programs in order for such affiliates that 
seek to develop new STEM programs that are con-
sistent with the goals of this section to develop and 
establish such new STEM programs. 
‘‘(e) SUBGRANTS
TO COMMUNITY-BASED AFFILI-
ATES.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—A community-based affil-
iate seeking a subgrant shall submit an application 
to its national or regional intermediary at such time, 
in such form, and containing such information as 
the national or regional intermediary may reasonably 
require. 
‘‘(2) USES OF FUNDS.—A community-based af-
filiate that receives a subgrant under this section to 
operate a Project Ready STEM Program shall oper-
ate an in-school, after school, summer, or weekend 
program that focuses on STEM education and pri-
marily serves students who are traditionally under-
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represented in STEM field careers. Such program 
shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) Educational services that include— 
‘‘(i) an initial assessment of students’ 
progress in math, science, and reading; 
‘‘(ii) remediation and educational en-
richment services; and 
‘‘(iii) helping students to improve 
their study skills. 
‘‘(B) Project-based learning opportunities. 
‘‘(C) Individualized instruction and track-
ing of student progress that is aligned with in- 
school performance. 
‘‘(3) COLLABORATION.—A community-based af-
filiate that receives a subgrant under this section 
shall collaborate with an institution of higher edu-
cation to provide the services described in paragraph 
(2). 
‘‘(f) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) SECRETARY REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The 
Secretary shall submit a report annually to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce in the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Sen-
ate on the progress that national and regional inter-
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mediaries and their community-based affiliates oper-
ating Project Ready STEM Programs have made to-
ward achieving the goals in subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) NATIONAL OR REGIONAL INTERMEDIARY 
REPORT
TO
THE
SECRETARY.—A national or re-
gional intermediary receiving a grant under this sec-
tion shall submit a report annually to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require, including 
the progress that its community-based affiliates op-
erating Project Ready STEM Programs have made 
toward achieving the goals in subsection (c). 
‘‘(3) COMMUNITY-BASED AFFILIATE REPORT TO 
ITS
NATIONAL
OR
REGIONAL
INTERMEDIARY.—A 
community-based affiliate that receives a subgrant 
under this section shall submit a report annually to 
the national or regional intermediary that awarded 
such subgrant at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the intermediary may 
require, including the progress its Project Ready 
STEM Program has made toward achieving the 
goals in subsection (c). 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COMMUNITY-BASED AFFILIATE.—The term 
‘community-based affiliate’ means a community- 
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based organization (as defined in section 9101) that 
is an affiliate of a national or regional intermediary. 
‘‘(2) NATIONAL
INTERMEDIARY.—The term 
‘national intermediary’ means a national private 
nonprofit organization that— 
‘‘(A) has a network comprised of commu-
nity-based affiliates in not less than 50 urban 
communities; 
‘‘(B) has demonstrated expertise and effec-
tiveness in overseeing programs to help middle 
school and secondary school students succeed, 
including programs to help such students be-
come college-ready and career-ready; and 
‘‘(C) has operated in not less than 25 
States continuously for not less than 20 years. 
‘‘(3) PROJECT-BASED
LEARNING.—The term 
‘project-based learning’ means learning through a 
broad project that includes instruction, substantive 
content, and reflection, with the goal that students 
who participate in the project will achieve a concrete 
goal or complete a project. 
‘‘(4) REGIONAL INTERMEDIARY.—The term ‘re-
gional intermediary’ means a private nonprofit com-
munity-based organization that— 
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