To stimulate collaboration with respect to, and provide for coordination and coherence of, the Nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education initiatives, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Education Innovation Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS 
              EDUCATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

    (a) Assistant Secretary.--Section 202 of the Department of 
Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3412) is amended in subsection 
(b)(1)--
            (1) in subparagraph (E) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as (G); and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
                    ``(F) an Assistant Secretary for Science, 
                Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (in 
                this Act referred to as the `Assistant Secretary for 
                STEM Education'); and''.
    (b) Office.--Title II of the Department of Education Organization 
Act is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 221. OFFICE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS 
              EDUCATION.

    ``(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department of Education an 
Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education 
(in this section referred to as the `Office of STEM Education'), to be 
administered by the Assistant Secretary for STEM Education appointed 
under section 202(b).
    ``(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary of STEM Education, 
acting through the Office, shall serve as the principal advisor to the 
Secretary on matters affecting science, technology, engineering, and 
math education, and shall administer such functions representing STEM 
education, including the coordination of STEM activities and programs 
across Federal agencies.
    ``(c) Evaluation and Report.--The Assistant Secretary for STEM 
Education shall conduct an independent evaluation, through grant or by 
contract, of the STEM education programs administered by the 
Department, at least every 5 years, which shall include--
            ``(1) conducting an assessment of STEM education activities 
        within the Department by using the evaluations and reports of 
        these programs to determine these programs' impact on--
                    ``(A) the quantity of students taking advanced 
                placement in STEM areas and seeking STEM degrees;
                    ``(B) student academic achievement in mathematics 
                and science; and
                    ``(C) the increased number of highly qualified STEM 
                teachers; and
            ``(2) the preparation and submission of a report on the 
        results of the evaluation described in paragraph (1) to the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the 
        Committee on Science of the Senate, the Committee on Education 
        and the Workforce and the Committee on Science and Technology 
        of the House of Representatives, and the Committees on 
        Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $1,500,000 to carry out this section for fiscal year 2013 
and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.''.

SEC. 3. EDUCATION INNOVATION PROJECT.

    Title II of the Department of Education Organization Act is further 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 221. EDUCATION INNOVATION PROJECT.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department an Education 
Innovation Project (referred to in this section as `EIP').
    ``(b) Purposes.--EIP is established under this section for the 
purposes of pursuing breakthrough research and development in 
educational technology and providing the effective use of the 
technology to improve achievement for all students, by--
            ``(1) identifying and promoting revolutionary advances in 
        fundamental and applied sciences and engineering that could be 
        translated into new learning technologies;
            ``(2) developing novel learning technologies, and the 
        enabling processes and contexts for effective use of those 
        technologies;
            ``(3) developing, testing, and evaluating the impact and 
        efficacy of those technologies;
            ``(4) accelerating transformational technological advances 
        in areas in which the private sector, by itself, is not likely 
        to accelerate such advances because of difficulties in 
        implementation or adoption, or technical and market 
        uncertainty;
            ``(5) coordinating activities with nongovernmental entities 
        to demonstrate technologies and research applications to 
        facilitate technology transfer; and
            ``(6) encouraging educational research using new 
        technologies and the data produced by the technologies.
    ``(c) Authorities of Secretary.--The Secretary is authorized to--
            ``(1) appoint a Director, who shall be responsible for 
        carrying out the purposes of EIP, as described in subsection 
        (b), and such additional functions as the Secretary may 
        prescribe;
            ``(2) establish processes for the development and execution 
        of projects and the solicitation of entities to carry out the 
        projects in a manner that is--
                    ``(A) tailored to the purposes of EIP and not 
                constrained by other Department-wide administrative 
                requirements that could detract from achieving program 
                results; and
                    ``(B) designed to heighten transparency, and 
                public- and private-sector involvement, to ensure that 
                investments are made in the most promising areas;
            ``(3) award grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and 
        cash prizes, and enter into other transactions (in accordance 
        with such regulations as the Secretary may establish regarding 
        other transactions);
            ``(4) make appointments of up to 20 scientific, 
        engineering, professional, and other mission-related employees, 
        for periods of up to 4 years (which appointments may not be 
        renewed) without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
        States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service;
            ``(5)(A) prescribe the rates of basic pay for the personnel 
        described in paragraph (4) at rates not in excess of the 
        maximum rate of basic pay authorized for senior-level positions 
        under section 5376 of title 5, United States Code, 
        notwithstanding any provision of that title governing the rates 
        of basic pay or classification of employees in the executive 
        branch, but those personnel shall not receive any payment for 
        service (such as an award, premium payment, incentive payment 
        or bonus, allowance, or other similar payment) under any other 
        provision of that title; and
            ``(B) pay any employee appointed pursuant to paragraph (4) 
        payments in addition to that basic pay, except that the total 
        amount of those payments for any calendar year shall not exceed 
        the lesser of--
                    ``(i) $25,000; or
                    ``(ii) the difference between the employee's annual 
                rate of basic pay under paragraph (4) and the annual 
                rate for level I of the Executive Schedule under 
                section 5312 of title 5, United States Code, based on 
                the rates in effect at the end of the applicable 
                calendar year (or, if the employee separated during 
                that year, on the date of separation);
            ``(6) obtain independent, periodic, rigorous evaluations, 
        as appropriate, of--
                    ``(A) the effectiveness of the processes EIP is 
                using to achieve its purposes; and
                    ``(B) the effectiveness of individual projects 
                assisted by EIP, using evidence standards developed in 
                consultation with the Institute of Education Sciences, 
                and the suitability of ongoing projects assisted by EIP 
                for further investment or increased scale; and
            ``(7) disseminate, through the comprehensive centers 
        established under section 203 of the Educational Technical 
        Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602), the regional 
        educational laboratories system established under section 174 
        of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564), 
        or such other means as the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate, information on effective practices and 
        technologies developed with EIP support.
    ``(d) Evaluation Funds.--The Secretary may use funds made available 
for EIP to pay the cost of the evaluations under subsection (c)(6).
    ``(e) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, any advisory committee convened by the Secretary to 
provide advice with respect to this section shall be exempt from the 
requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and 
the definition of `employee' in section 2105 of title 5, United States 
Code, shall not be considered to include any appointee to such a 
committee.
    ``(f) Nonduplication.--To the maximum extent practicable, the 
Secretary shall ensure that grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, 
cash prizes, or other assistance or arrangements awarded or entered 
into pursuant to this section that are designed to carry out the 
purposes of EIP do not duplicate activities under programs carried out 
under Federal law other than this section by the Department or other 
Federal agencies.''.

SEC. 4. STATE CONSORTIUM ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND 
              MATHEMATICS EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--From amounts made available to carry out this 
section, the Secretary of Education, acting through the Office of STEM 
Education, shall award competitive grants to eligible consortia to 
enable each such eligible consortium to establish a State Consortium on 
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (which may 
be referred to in this section as a ``State Consortium on STEM 
Education'').
    (b) Eligible Consortium Defined.--In this section, the term 
``eligible consortium'' means a State-based STEM council, network, 
group, or advisory board which includes the participation of State 
officials, educators, administrators, parents, business leaders, and 
representatives from the science and engineering communities who have 
formed to increase student achievement in the STEM areas in their 
State.
    (c) Peer Review and Selection.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) establish a peer-review process to assist in the review 
        and approval of the grant proposals submitted by eligible 
        consortia under this section; and
            (2) with the assistance of the peer-review process, approve 
        grants from the grant proposals submitted under this section 
        not later than 120 days after the deadline for submission of 
        such proposals established by the Secretary, unless the 
        Secretary determines that the grant proposals submitted do not 
        meet the requirements of this section.
    (d) Total Amount of Grants.--The total amount of grants made under 
this section in any fiscal year may not exceed $20,000,000.
    (e) Use of Grant Funds.--Each eligible consortium receiving a grant 
under this section shall use the grant funds awarded under this section 
to establish a State consortium on STEM education to carry out the 
following:
            (1) To support at least one full-time staff member for each 
        State.
            (2) To test, validate, share, and scale STEM education 
        research, promising practices, and exemplary programs among 
        members of the consortium and with other State consortia on 
        STEM education established under this section.
            (3) To identify points of weakness and strength among State 
        STEM education efforts, prioritize strategies for addressing 
        problem areas, and communicate State needs to the STEM 
        Education Committee within the OSTP and the Assistant Secretary 
        for STEM Education.
            (4) To assist in the implementation of rigorous common 
        content standards in mathematics and science education for 
        grades prekindergarten through grade 12, which reflect common 
        elements between such disciplines and take into consideration--
                    (A) established international standards and 21st 
                century skills; and
                    (B) the needs of English language learners and 
                special education students.
            (5) To assist and support, the development and 
        implementation of innovative STEM assessments based on common 
        content standards in mathematics and science.
            (6) To promote and develop curriculum tools and 
        professional development for in-service STEM teachers that 
        foster innovation and inventiveness.
            (7) To develop STEM Career Awareness Programs in 
        collaboration with school guidance counselors that reflect the 
        projected STEM workforce needs of the 21st century that may 
        include mentoring programs and STEM professional outreach.
            (8) To develop STEM-related workforce education and 
        training programs to enhance the skills of workers to meet the 
        needs of business and industry.
    (f) Matching Requirement.--In order to receive a grant under this 
section, an eligible consortium shall agree to provide, either directly 
or through private contributions, non-Federal matching funds equal to 
not less than 30 percent of the amount of the grant.
    (g) Evaluation and Report.--Each State Consortium on STEM Education 
established under this section shall--
            (1) conduct periodic independent evaluations, by grant or 
        by contract, of the State Consortium on STEM Education's 
        effectiveness at accomplishing the activities described in 
        subsection (e), which shall include an assessment of the impact 
        of such activities on STEM teaching and learning; and
            (2) prepare and submit a report on the results of each 
        evaluation described in paragraph (1) to the Assistant 
        Secretary of STEM Education.
    (h) Prohibitions.--In implementing this section, the Secretary may 
not--
            (1) endorse, approve, or sanction any STEM curriculum 
        designed for use in any elementary school or secondary school; 
        or
            (2) engage in oversight, technical assistance, or 
        activities that will require the adoption of a specific STEM 
        program or instructional materials by a State, local 
        educational agency, or school.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The terms ``elementary school'', ``local educational 
        agency'', and ``secondary school'' have the meanings given such 
        terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) The term ``Office of STEM Education'' means the Office 
        of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education 
        of the Department of Education.
            (3) The term ``OSTP'' means the Office of Science and 
        Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President.
            (4) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.
            (5) The term ``State'' means each of the several States of 
        the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
        of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana 
        Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands.
            (6) The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics.

Summary: STEM Education Innovation Act of 2011 - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education within the Department of Education to administer STEM education.

Directs the Office of STEM Education to conduct an independent evaluation of the Department's STEM Education programs at least once every five years.

Establishes an Education Innovation Project within the Department to pursue breakthrough research and development in educational technology, and facilitate the effective use of that technology to improve student achievement.

Directs the Office of STEM Education to award competitive matching grants to consortia of state-based STEM stakeholders that enable each of them to establish a state consortium on STEM education.

Require each consortium to: (1) promote STEM education research and best practices; (2) address deficiencies in state STEM education efforts and communicate state needs to the federal government; (3) support the implementation of rigorous common content standards in mathematics and science education, and the development of innovative STEM assessments based on those standards; (4) promote and develop curriculum tools and training for in-service STEM teachers; (5) develop STEM Career Awareness Programs; and (6) develop STEM-related workforce education and training programs.