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Legislation News & Report (TM) TheWeekInCongress.com (TM) Managing America: Education |
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TheWeekInCongress.com (TM) Week Ending April 27, 2006
H.R.362 To authorize science scholarships for educating mathematics and science teachers, and for other purposes.
The bill intends to improve science and mathematics education at the elementary and secondary education levels through a series of grants and loans intended to increase qualified teachers and improve access to lab materials and other teaching necessities. Scholarships under the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Scholarship program currently provides scholarships, stipends and teacher training to science, mathematics and engineering students and professionals who then serve as elementary and secondary school teachers. The length of the scholarship time is extended under this bill, some limitations on recipient requirements are removed and private funding donations to support the program are invited. Funds are authorized for teacher institute workshops, a master’s programs and laboratory science professional development programs.
The program is expanded to cover summer intern teacherships for freshman students. Grant periods are extended and grant amounts rise from $7500 to $10,000. Service at a ‘high need’ school is reduced by one year for scholarship recipients.
Private companies that would hire the scientists and engineers in the program would provide mentors for teachers and students and coordinate the mentoring. The section of the bill relates to such partnerships and provides for grants from $75,000 to $2 million in any fiscal year. Teacher institutes may be established by the NSF to run one or two weeks to reach the maximum number of in-service math and science teacher particularly elementary and middle school teachers. Other grants would go to jurisdiction with a concentrations of children from low income families or have a shortage of highly qualified teachers. The program would provide around $193 million for grants over five years. Laboratory science teachers could receive $41 million over five years. Obtaining a masters degree or obtaining one in three years is supported by the bill by grants to develop courses and content, provide a stipend to defray costs and to acquire computer and networking equipment for online instruction. $275 million over five years.
Proven curricula from K-12 will be collected and disseminated and centers of excellence would be established. One at a doctoral/ research university and one to improve undergraduate education. About $280 million will support that effort.
To support laboratory science funds may be used to buy, rent or lease equipment and materials, maintain, renovate and improve lab facilities, develop instructional materials to integrate the lab experience with classroom instruction, lab safety training. A partnership is also supported that will include a community of other college, a high-need school, business or non-profit organizations and possibly a State education agency or other public agency or laboratory or community based organization. Federal costs shall not exceed 50% and recipients must ultimately provide a report on progress. $5 million.
Four years from enactment Congress is to receive a report illustrating the proportion of individuals receiving scholarships and stipends, who are fulfilling their obligation in a high need local agency, those who elected to serve in a high need facility but did not complete the assignment and those who continue to serve in a high need institution. Congress would also be informed of those who remained as teachers beyond their service obligations. Another report is due in two years examining the extent to which institutions of higher education are donating lab equipment to lower schools. The report will look at how often, how much and what type of equipment is donated, the criteria accompanying the donation, follow up on the donation and how future donations can be increased.
Sponsor: Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN-6th) Vote: passed House 389 to 22 April 25, 2007 (RC 254) A motion to recommit the bill passed 408 to 4 April 25, 2007 (RC 253) Cost to the taxpayers: $664 million “`(1) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; `(2) $101,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; `(3) $133,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; `(4) $164,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and `(5) $196,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.'.” Earmark Certification: Not applicable to this bill. ## All Rights Reserved. © 2007 TheWeekInCongress.com(TM) No reproduction, language translation or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.(TM)
MORE INFORMATION
AMENDMENTS Congress finds the following: (1) The prosperity the United States enjoys today is due in no small part to investments the Nation has made in research and development over the past 50 years. (2) Corporate, government, and national scientific and technical leaders have raised concerns that current trends affecting the science and technology enterprise of the Nation could result in erosion of this past success and jeopardize future prosperity. (3) The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine were tasked in a congressional request to recommend actions that the Federal Government could take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so that the United States can successfully compete, prosper, and be secure in the global community of the 21st century. (4) The Academies' highest priority recommendation in its report, `Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future', is to improve K-12 mathematics and science education, and the Academies' first recommended action item is to institute a major scholarship program to recruit and educate annually 10,000 mathematics and science teachers.
AMENDMENTS Amendments For H.R.3621. H.AMDT.104 to H.R.362
An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 110-105 to establish an
additional type of award under NSF's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship
program to recruit and train science, math and engineering professionals
who are interested in becoming science or math teachers. The awards are
for institutions of higher education that enter into partnerships with
private sector entities and state or local government educational
organizations. The awards support the development of specialized pedagogy
courses for training students to teach science or math and provide for
stipends of up to $10,000 per year for participants in the program. In
exchange for the stipend, the participants are obligated to teach in a
secondary school for four years. As a condition for receiving the NSF
grant, the partnership must provide salary supplements, from non-Federal
sources, to the graduates of the program during the period of their
teaching commitment. 2. H.AMDT.105 to H.R.362
An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 110-105 to require NSF, in
making awards under the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, to
ensure that the recipients are from a variety of types of academic
institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions, and requires NSF to
establish and maintain a clearinghouse of information on teaching
opportunities in high-need school systems for use by individuals who
participate in the Noyce program and consequently have an obligation to
teach for a prescribed period of time. 3. H.AMDT.106 to H.R.362
An amendment submitted pursuant to the instructions contained in the
motion to recommit offered by Mr. Hoekstra.
## All Rights Reserved. © 2007 TheWeekInCongress.com.(TM) No reproduction, language translation or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.(TM)
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