§ 1862n. Mathematics and science education partnerships

U.S. Code > Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare > CHAPTER 16—NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION > § 1862n. Mathematics and science education partnerships

(a) Program authorized

(1) In general

(A) The Director shall carry out a program to award grants to institutions of higher education or eligible nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or organizations) to establish mathematics and science education partnership programs to improve elementary and secondary mathematics and science instruction.

(B) Grants shall be awarded under this subsection on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.

(2) Partnerships

(A) In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an institution of higher education or eligible nonprofit organization (or consortium of such institutions or organizations) shall enter into a partnership with one or more local educational agencies that may also include the department, college, or program of education at an institution of higher education, a State educational agency, or one or more businesses.

(B) A participating institution of higher education shall include mathematics, science, or engineering departments in the programs carried out through a partnership under this paragraph.

(3) Uses of funds

Grants awarded under this subsection shall be used for activities that draw upon the expertise of the partners to improve elementary or secondary education in mathematics or science and that are consistent with State mathematics and science student academic achievement standards, including—

(A) recruiting and preparing students for careers in elementary or secondary mathematics or science education;

(B) offering professional development programs, including—

(i) teacher institutes for the 21st century, as described in paragraph (10); and

(ii) academic year institutes or workshops that—

(I) are designed to strengthen the capabilities of mathematics and science teachers; and

(II) may include professional development activities to prepare mathematics and science teachers to teach challenging mathematics, science, and technology college-preparatory courses;

(C) offering innovative preservice and inservice programs that instruct teachers on using technology and laboratory experiences more effectively in teaching mathematics and science, including programs that recruit and train undergraduate and graduate students to provide technical and laboratory support to teachers;

(D) developing distance learning programs for teachers or students, including developing courses, curricular materials, and other resources for the in-service professional development of teachers that are made available to teachers through the Internet;

(E) developing a cadre of master teachers who will promote reform and improvement in schools;

(F) offering teacher preparation and certification programs for professional mathematicians, scientists, and engineers who wish to begin a career in teaching;

(G) developing tools to evaluate activities conducted under this subsection;

(H) developing or adapting elementary school and secondary school mathematics and science curricular materials that incorporate contemporary research on the science of learning;

(I) developing initiatives to increase and sustain the number, quality, and diversity of prekindergarten through grade 12 teachers of mathematics and science, including the use of induction programs, as defined in section 9813 (h) of title 20, for teachers in their first 2 years of teaching, especially in underserved areas;

(J) using mathematicians, scientists, and engineers employed by private businesses to help recruit and train mathematics and science teachers;

(K) developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics educational programs and materials and conducting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics enrichment programs for students, including after-school programs and summer programs, with an emphasis on including and serving students described in subsection (b)(2)(G);

(L) providing research opportunities in business or academia for students and teachers;

(M) bringing mathematicians, scientists, and engineers from business and academia into elementary school and secondary school classrooms; and

(N) any other activities the Director determines will accomplish the goals of this subsection.

(4) Master teachers

Activities carried out in accordance with paragraph (3)(E) shall—

(A) emphasize the training of master teachers who will improve the instruction of mathematics or science in kindergarten through grade 12;

(B) include training in both content and pedagogy; and

(C) provide training only to teachers who will be granted sufficient nonclassroom time to serve as master teachers, as demonstrated by assurances their employing school has provided to the Director, in such time and such manner as the Director may require.

(5) Science enrichment programs for girls

Activities carried out in accordance with paragraph (3)(K) and (L) shall include elementary school and secondary school programs to encourage the ongoing interest of girls in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and to prepare girls to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees and careers in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology. Funds made available through awards to partnerships for the purposes of this paragraph may support programs for—

(A) encouraging girls to pursue studies in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and to major in such fields in postsecondary education;

(B) tutoring girls in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology;

(C) providing mentors for girls in person and through the Internet to support such girls in pursuing studies in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology;

(D) educating the parents of girls about the difficulties faced by girls to maintain an interest and desire to achieve in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, and enlisting the help of parents in overcoming these difficulties; and

(E) acquainting girls with careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and encouraging girls to plan for careers in such fields.

(6) Research in secondary schools

Activities carried out in accordance with paragraph (3)(K) may include support for research projects performed by students at secondary schools. Uses of funds made available through awards to partnerships for purposes of this paragraph may include—

(A) training secondary school mathematics and science teachers in the design of research projects for students;

(B) establishing a system for students and teachers involved in research projects funded under this subsection to exchange information about their projects and research results; and

(C) assessing the educational value of the student research projects by such means as tracking the academic performance and choice of academic majors of students conducting research.

(7) Stipends

Grants awarded under this subsection may be used to provide stipends for teachers or students participating in training or research activities that would not be part of their typical classroom activities.

(8) Mentors for teachers and students of challenging courses

Partnerships carrying out activities to prepare mathematics and science teachers to teach challenging mathematics, science, and technology college-preparatory courses in accordance with paragraph (3)(B) shall encourage companies employing scientists, technologists, engineers, or mathematicians to provide mentors to teachers and students and provide for the coordination of such mentoring activities.

(9) Innovation

Activities carried out in accordance with paragraph (3)(H) may include the development and dissemination of curriculum tools that will help foster inventiveness and innovation.

(10) Teacher institutes for the 21st century

(A) In general

Teacher institutes for the 21st century carried out in accordance with paragraph (3)(B) shall—

(i) be carried out in conjunction with a school served by the local educational agency in the partnership;

(ii) be science, technology, engineering, and mathematics focused institutes that provide professional development to elementary school and secondary school teachers;

(iii) serve teachers who—

(I) are considered highly qualified (as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 7801]);

(II) teach high-need subjects in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; and

(III) teach in high-need schools (as described in section 1114(a)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6314 (a)(1)]);

(iv) focus on the priorities developed by the Director in consultation with a broad group of relevant educational organizations;

(v) be content-based and build on school year curricula that are experiment-oriented, content-based, and grounded in current research;

(vi) ensure that the pedagogy component is designed around specific strategies that are relevant to teaching the subject and content on which teachers are being trained, which may include training teachers in the essential components of reading instruction for adolescents in order to improve student reading skills within the subject areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;

(vii) be a multiyear program that is conducted for a period of not less than 2 weeks per year;

(viii) provide for direct interaction between participants in and faculty of the teacher institute;

(ix) have a component that includes the use of the Internet;

(x) provide for followup training in the classroom during the academic year for a period of not less than 3 days, which may or may not be consecutive, for participants in the teacher institute, except that for teachers in rural local educational agencies, the followup training may be provided through the Internet;

(xi) provide teachers participating in the teacher institute with travel expense reimbursement and classroom materials related to the teacher institute, and may include providing stipends as necessary; and

(xii) establish a mechanism to provide supplemental support during the academic year for teacher institute participants to apply the knowledge and skills gained at the teacher institute.

(B) Optional members of the partnership

In addition to the partnership requirement under paragraph (2), an institution of higher education or eligible nonprofit organization (or consortium) desiring a grant for a teacher institute for the 21st century may also partner with a teacher organization, museum, or educational partnership organization.

(b) Selection process

(1) Application

An institution of higher education or an eligible nonprofit organization (or a consortium of such institutions or organizations) seeking funding under subsection (a) of this section shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum—

(A) a description of the partnership and the role that each member will play in implementing the proposal;

(B) a description of each of the activities to be carried out, including—

(i) how such activities will be aligned with State mathematics and science student academic achievement standards and with other activities that promote student achievement in mathematics and science;

(ii) how such activities will be based on a review of relevant research;

(iii) why such activities are expected to improve student performance and strengthen the quality of mathematics and science instruction; and

(iv) any activities that will encourage the interest of individuals identified in section 1885a or 1885b of this title in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology and will help prepare such individuals to pursue postsecondary studies in these fields;

(C) a description of the number, size, and nature of any stipends that will be provided to students or teachers and the reasons such stipends are needed;

(D) a description of how the partnership will serve as a catalyst for reform of mathematics and science education programs;

(E) a description of how the partnership will assess its success;

(F) a description of how the partnership will collaborate with the State educational agency to ensure that successful partnership activities may be replicated throughout the State; and

(G) a description of the manner in which the partnership will be continued after assistance under this section ends.

(2) Review of applications

In evaluating the applications submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at a minimum—

(A) the ability of the partnership to carry out effectively the proposed programs;

(B) the extent to which the members of the partnership are committed to making the partnership a central organizational focus;

(C) the degree to which activities carried out by the partnership are based on relevant research and are likely to result in increased student achievement;

(D) the degree to which such activities are aligned with State mathematics and science student academic achievement standards;

(E) the extent to which the evaluation described in paragraph (1)(E) will be independent and based on objective measures;

(F) the likelihood that the partnership will demonstrate activities that can be widely implemented as part of larger scale reform efforts; and

(G) the extent to which the activities will encourage the interest of individuals identified in section 1885a or 1885b of this title in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology and will help prepare such individuals to pursue postsecondary studies in these fields.

(3) Awards

In awarding grants under this section, the Director shall—

(A) give priority to applications in which the partnership includes a high-need local educational agency or a high-need local educational agency in which at least one school does not make adequate yearly progress, as determined pursuant to part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.); and

(B) ensure that, to the extent practicable, a substantial number of the partnerships funded under this section include businesses.

(1) Assessment required

The Director shall evaluate the program established under subsection (a) of this section. At a minimum, such evaluation shall—

(A) use a common set of benchmarks and assessment tools to identify best practices and materials developed and demonstrated by the partnerships; and

(B) to the extent practicable, compare the effectiveness of practices and materials developed and demonstrated by the partnerships authorized under this section with those of partnerships funded by other State or Federal agencies.

(2) Report on evaluations

Not later than 4 years after August 9, 2007, the Director shall transmit a report summarizing the evaluations required under subsection (b)(1)(E) of grants received under this program and describing any changes to the program recommended as a result of these evaluations to the Committee on Science and Technology and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. Such report shall be made widely available to the public.

(3) Annual meeting

The Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall convene an annual meeting of the partnerships participating under this section to foster greater national collaboration.

(4) Report on coordination

The Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall provide an annual report to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate describing how the program authorized under this section has been and will be coordinated with the program authorized under part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6661 et seq.]. The report under this paragraph shall be submitted along with the President’s annual budget request.

(5) Technical assistance

At the request of an eligible partnership or a State educational agency, the Director shall provide the partnership or agency with technical assistance in meeting any requirements of this section, including providing advice from experts on how to develop—

(A) a quality application for a grant; and

(B) quality activities from funds received from a grant under this section.

(d) Definitions

In this section—

(1) the term “mathematics and science teacher” means a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics teacher at the elementary school or secondary school level; and

(2) the term “science”, in the context of elementary and secondary education, includes technology and pre-engineering.

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§ 1862n. Mathematics and science education partnerships