Legislation To Coordinate STEM Education Programs Advances

Despite the fact that numerous federal agencies invest and support STEM education programs, there is little to no coordination amongst them.

In an attempt to synchronize and monitor STEM programs, legislation recently proposed seeks to remedy this situation. Rep. Barton Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, along with Representatives Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Co-Chairs of the STEM Education Caucus and Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), have introduced H. R. 1709, the STEM Education Coordination Act which on March 31, 2009 advanced from the House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education. The Bill aims to “establish a committee under the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education activities and programs of all Federal agencies.”

According to the bill, the committee would specifically:

(1) coordinate the STEM education activities and programs of the Federal agencies;

(2) develop, implement through the participating agencies, and update once every 5 years a 5-year STEM education strategic plan, which shall--

(A) specify and prioritize annual and long-term objectives;

(B) specify the metrics which will be used to assess progress toward achieving the objectives;

(C) describe the approaches that will be taken by each participating agency to assess the effectiveness of its STEM education programs and activities; and

(D) with respect to subparagraph (A), describe the role of each agency in supporting programs and activities designed to achieve the objectives; and

(3) establish, periodically update, and maintain an inventory of federally sponsored STEM education programs and activities, including documentation of assessments of the effectiveness of such programs and activities.

This is not the first bill to have been introduced that would provide coordination of all the STEM Education activities at Federal agencies. The Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of 2008, introduced by Rep Mike Honda (D-CA) and President Obama while he was a Senator last year, looked to achieve similar goals. According to a press release by Rep Mike Honda, he plans on reintroducing his bill again.