Sec. 102. Federal 5-year STEM education strategic plan
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Congress makes the following findings: STEM knowledge and skills are more important than ever before to jobs throughout the economy and STEM education is critical to imparting those skills to future workers. Increasing the number and diversity of students trained in STEM fields and retaining STEM professionals is critical to supporting U.S. competitiveness within a global economy. STEM literacy, a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles, is critical to U.S. consumers' evaluation of scientific information and to informing national, local, and personal decisions in a range of areas, including healthcare and criminal justice.
It is the sense of Congress that updates to the Federal 5-year STEM education strategic plan required by section 101 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 6621 ), actions to implement the plan and its updates, and the Federal STEM education investments should— support the development of a STEM workforce that is responsive to the needs of industry, academia, and Federal, State, and local governments; leverage and incorporate the expertise of a broad range of STEM educators and beneficiaries, including— public and private sector employers that rely on an educated STEM workforce; institutions of higher education; non-profit STEM education groups and informal STEM education providers; and Federal, State, and local agencies involved in STEM education; seek to optimize Federal STEM education initiatives and decisions related to the expansion, consolidation, or reorganization of STEM programs, and be supported both by program evaluations and by careful consideration of each affected program’s contribution to STEM education; encourage student exposure to scientists and engineers by maintaining the role of Federal science agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and STEM professionals in education and outreach activities; and support active, collaborative, and inquiry-based STEM learning approaches that develop creative thinking and critical analysis skills rather than solely emphasizing memorization.
Section 101 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 6621 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: The Chairperson of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on STEM Education shall publish in the Federal Register notice of any pending draft updates to the 5-year STEM education strategic plan and provide an opportunity for public comment on the draft updated plan. To encourage alignment between the strategic plan and national STEM needs, the Chairperson shall encourage comment, in particular, from State and local educational agencies, informal STEM education groups, nonprofit STEM education organizations, STEM-related industries, and institutions of higher education, including community colleges.
For purposes of this subsection, the term community college means an institution of higher education (as defined under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )) at which the highest degree that is predominately awarded to students is an associate's degree. In updating and implementing the 5-year STEM education strategic plan, the National Science and Technology Council Committee on STEM Education shall develop guidance and best practices for Federal agencies on incorporating and encouraging informal STEM education efforts to support youth and public engagement in STEM fields.
In updating and implementing the 5-year STEM education strategic plan, the National Science and Technology Council Committee on STEM Education shall consider Federal cross-agency efforts to improve awareness of STEM careers among K–12 students, including among underrepresented and rural populations. . It is the sense of Congress that Federal STEM education programs benefit from the participation and leadership of the Federal science agencies and from the involvement of scientists and engineers in the development and implementation of STEM curricula.
Any reorganization of Federal STEM education programs that diminishes the participation of Federal science agency scientists or engineers, including in the awarding of STEM-related education grants, should be avoided.
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