Sec. 505. National Science Foundation STEM education program contribution and research dissemination
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Congress makes the following findings: The Foundation’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources, in collaboration, where appropriate, with other Foundation directorates, supports STEM education by— funding research into student learning, to include learning in informal environments; supporting programs to improve pedagogy and to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the STEM workforce; providing financial support for students pursuing STEM degrees and encouraging students to become STEM educators; and promoting the adoption of validated teaching practices and encouraging broad STEM literacy.
External evaluations of the Foundation’s education programs demonstrate that the education programs produce more highly qualified teachers, increase interest in STEM careers and in higher education, broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM fields, and support the development of the STEM workforce. It is the policy of the United States that— the Foundation should maintain robust investments in STEM education at all levels, in teacher education, and in identifying and adapting promising STEM learning projects for broader use; and the Foundation’s educational initiatives should— develop, evaluate, and promote new or transformative approaches to STEM education both inside and outside of the classroom; balance support for research into education, with transforming promising research into innovative educational approaches, tools, and programs, and with disseminating pedagogical best practices; and consider the needs of the educational community, including academia, informal educational providers, and non-profit, industry, and local, State, and Federal education agencies.
The Director shall ensure that the Foundation's education programs have measurable objectives and clear, documented metrics for evaluating programs. The Director, for each education program or portfolio of similar programs, shall— include measurable objectives and milestones within program solicitations; encourage the collection of evidence as relevant to the measurable objectives and milestones in paragraph (1); engage external evaluators, which may include Foundation-funded researchers, in evaluating the program or portfolio against the objectives and milestones in paragraph
(1)and not just the inputs or activities completed; and wherever relevant, conduct longitudinal or comparison group studies. The Director shall support activities to disseminate and catalyze the adoption of evidence-based best practices in STEM education content and pedagogy. In conducting these activities, the Director, at a minimum, shall— identify those best practices that have been validated through peer-reviewed research efforts; establish collaborations with organizations involved in teacher training, to include other Federal science agencies, professional associations, institutions of higher education, and private sector entities, including informal education providers, as appropriate; and through collaboration with organizations involved in teacher training, transmit best practice information to educators. The Director shall incentivize and support the widespread adoption of evidence-based education practices and initiatives. Grants under this subsection shall be competitively awarded to propagate and implement practices that improve student learning and increase participation and retention in STEM fields. The following organizations may be eligible for grants under this subsection: Institutions of higher education. State, local, and nonprofit educational organizations. Other educational groups as identified by the Director. Activities supported by grants under this subsection may include— expanding promising education projects and initiatives; and supporting professional development or community outreach efforts, as required to encourage a commitment to educational reforms.