I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1243 
To establish within the Department of Education the Innovation Inspiration 
school grant program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2013 
Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself and Mr. LANGEVIN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish within the Department of Education the Innova-
tion Inspiration school grant program, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘Innovation Inspiration 
School Grant Program Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) According to the National Science Board’s 
2010 Science and Engineering Indicators, only 5 
percent of American college graduates major in engi-
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neering. In Asia, about 20 percent of all bacca-
laureate degrees are in engineering and in China 
about 33 percent of baccalaureate degrees are in en-
gineering. 
(2) Although 4th graders in the United States 
score well against international competition, stu-
dents in the United States fall near the bottom or 
dead last by 12th grade in mathematics and science, 
respectively. 
(3) Admissions requirements for undergraduate 
engineering schools include a solid background in 
mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and 
calculus) and science (biology, chemistry, and phys-
ics), in addition to courses in English, social studies, 
and humanities. 
(4) According to the Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics, overall engineering employment is expected to 
grow by 11 percent from 2008 through 2018, and, 
as a group, engineers earn some of the highest aver-
age starting salaries among individuals holding bac-
calaureate degrees. 
(5) According to the Department of Labor, en-
gineers should be creative, inquisitive, analytical, 
and detail-oriented. Engineers should be able to 
work as part of a team and to communicate well, 
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both orally and in writing. Communication abilities 
are becoming increasingly important as engineers 
interact more frequently with specialists in a wide 
range of fields outside engineering. 
(6) Exposure to project- and problem-based 
learning, in a competitive team environment, gives 
9th through 12th graders the skills that they need 
to be successful in engineering programs of study 
and engineering careers. 
(7) According to Brandeis University’s Center 
for Youth and Communities, participants in FIRST 
Robotics (a nonprofit organization that inspires 
young people to be science and technology leaders by 
engaging the young people in mentor-based pro-
grams)— 
(A) are more likely than nonparticipants to 
attend an institution of higher education on a 
full-time basis (88 percent versus 53 percent); 
(B) are nearly 2 times as likely to major 
in a science or engineering field; and 
(C) are more than 3 times as likely to have 
majored specifically in engineering. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) LOW-INCOME STUDENT.—The term ‘‘low-in-
come student’’ means a student who is eligible for 
free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 
et seq.). 
(3) SECONDARY
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(5) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 
technology, engineering (including robotics), or 
mathematics. 
(6) 
NON-TRADITIONAL
STEM
EDUCATION 
TEACHING
METHODS.—The term ‘‘non-traditional 
STEM education teaching methods’’ means a STEM 
education method or strategy such as incorporating 
self-directed student learning, inquiry-based learn-
ing, cooperative learning in small groups, collabora-
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tion with mentors in the field of study, and partici-
pation in STEM-related competitions. 
SEC. 4. INNOVATIVE INSPIRATION SCHOOL GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) GOALS OF PROGRAM.—The goals of the Innova-
tion Inspiration grant program are— 
(1) to provide opportunities for local edu-
cational agencies to support non-traditional STEM 
education teaching methods; 
(2) to support the participation of students in 
nonprofit STEM competitions; 
(3) to foster innovation and broaden interest in, 
and access to, careers in the STEM fields by invest-
ing in programs supported by educators and profes-
sional mentors who receive hands-on training and 
ongoing communications that strengthen the inter-
actions of the educators and mentors with— 
(A) students who are involved in STEM 
activities; and 
(B) other students in the STEM class-
rooms and communities of such educators and 
mentors; and 
(4) to encourage collaboration among students, 
engineers, and professional mentors. 
(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to award grants, on a competitive basis, to local edu-
cational agencies to enable the local educational 
agencies— 
(A) to promote STEM in secondary 
schools; 
(B) to support the participation of sec-
ondary 
school 
students 
in 
non-traditional 
STEM teaching methods; and 
(C) to broaden secondary school students’ 
access to careers in STEM. 
(2) DURATION.—The Secretary shall award 
each grant under this Act for a period of not more 
than 5 years. 
(3) AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall award a 
grant under this Act in an amount that is sufficient 
to carry out the goals of this Act. 
(c) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each local educational agen-
cy desiring a grant under this Act shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may reasonably require. 
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(2) CONTENTS.—The application shall, at a 
minimum, include a description of how the local edu-
cational agency will— 
(A) carry out STEM teaching programs 
that will use a non-traditional STEM teaching 
method; 
(B) identify and recruit partners and men-
tors— 
(i) to help carry out the programs de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); and 
(ii) to assist students who participate 
in such programs, including through tech-
nology-supported means; 
(C) support educators who lead such pro-
grams, and participants in such programs, 
through stipends or other incentives; 
(D) recruit young women and individuals 
from populations historically underrepresented 
in the STEM fields to participate in such pro-
grams; 
(E) identify public and private partners 
that can support such programs with cash or 
in-kind contributions; 
(F) plan for sustaining such programs fi-
nancially beyond the grant period; and 
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(G) evaluate the grant project and the re-
sults of the grant project among participating 
students, including— 
(i) comparing students who partici-
pate in the grant project to similar stu-
dents who do not participate; and 
(ii) evaluating— 
(I) secondary school graduation 
rates; 
(II) rates of attendance at insti-
tutions of higher education; 
(III) the number of students tak-
ing advanced STEM related secondary 
school classes; and 
(IV) the ability of students par-
ticipating in the grant project to part-
ner with professional mentors. 
(3) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall give priority to ap-
plications from local educational agencies that pro-
pose to carry out activities that target— 
(A) a rural or urban school; 
(B) a low-performing school or local edu-
cational agency; or 
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(C) a local educational agency or school 
that serves low-income students. 
(d) USES OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each local educational agen-
cy that receives a grant under this Act shall use the 
grant funds for any of the following: 
(A) STEM EDUCATION AND CAREER AC-
TIVITIES.—Promotion of STEM education and 
career activities. 
(B) PURCHASE OF PARTS.—The purchase 
of parts and supplies needed to support partici-
pation in non-traditional STEM teaching meth-
ods. 
(C) 
TEACHER
INCENTIVES
AND
STI-
PENDS.—Incentives and stipends for teachers 
involved in non-traditional STEM teaching 
methods outside of their regular teaching du-
ties. 
(D) SUPPORT
AND
EXPENSES.—Support 
and expenses for student and team participa-
tion in regional and national nonprofit STEM 
competitions. 
(E) ADDITIONAL
MATERIALS
AND
SUP-
PORT.—Additional materials and support, such 
as 
equipment, 
facility 
use, 
technology, 
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broadband access, and other expenses, directly 
associated with non-traditional STEM teaching 
and mentoring. 
(F) EVALUATION.—Carrying out the eval-
uation described in subsection (c)(2)(G). 
(G) OTHER
ACTIVITIES.—Carrying out 
other activities that are related to the goals of 
the grant program, as described in subsection 
(a). 
(2) PROHIBITION.—A local educational agency 
shall not use grant funds awarded under this Act to 
participate in any STEM competition that is not a 
nonprofit competition. 
(3) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Each local edu-
cational agency that receives a grant under this Act 
may use not more than 2 percent of the grant funds 
for costs related to the administration of the grant 
project. 
(e) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
each local educational agency that receives a grant 
under this Act shall secure, toward the cost of the 
activities assisted under the grant, from non-Federal 
sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the grant. 
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The non-Federal contribution may be provided in 
cash or in kind. 
(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive all or 
part of the matching requirement described in para-
graph (1) for a local educational agency if the Sec-
retary determines that applying the matching re-
quirement would result in a serious financial hard-
ship or a financial inability to carry out the goals of 
the grant project. 
(f) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds 
provided to a local educational agency under this Act shall 
be used to supplement, and not supplant, funds that would 
otherwise be used for activities authorized under this Act. 
(g) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall establish an 
evaluation program to determine the efficacy of the grant 
program established by this Act, which shall include com-
paring students participating in a grant project funded 
under this Act to similar students who do not so partici-
pate, in order to assess the impact of student participation 
on— 
(1) what courses a student takes in the future; 
and 
(2) a student’s postsecondary study. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may 
be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2014 
through 2018. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—Of the amounts appro-
priated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, not 
more than 2 percent shall be used for the evaluation 
described under subsection (g). 
Æ 
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