Triangle Coalition For Science And Technology Education

Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) of the House Science and Technology Committee may attain his goal of passing the America COMPETES reauthorization (H.R. 5116) through the House before the end of May. The bill has already been approved by the committee, as mentioned in the May 3rd Legislative Update post, and is scheduled to move to the House Floor as early as tomorrow. Last week, in addition to the bill’s sponsor Rep. Bart Gordon, one-hundred and one co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle signed on in support of this landmark legislation.

COMPETES was also the topic of a recent dialogue in the Senate. Last week, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing entitled America Wins When America COMPETES: Building a High-Tech Workforce. Witnesses testifying before the committee represented Discovery Communications, Wood County Schools, University of Maryland, the National Math and Science Initiative, and Triangle Coalition Member, the National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL).

Ranking Member Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) mentioned her plans to introduce legislation around the UTeach Program to help colleges and universities recruit and prepare students who major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) to become certified as elementary school teachers. “I hope as we move forward this can be included in the America COMPETES Act reauthorization,” she said.

Dr. Ioannis Miaoulis, President and Director of the Museum of Science, Boston and Founding Director of the NCTL recommended that Congress should include the Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act, S. 3043, as part of the America COMPETES or as part of the STEM initiative under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). “K-12 engineering education will catalyze the development of a highly skilled STEM workforce necessary to insure our global competitiveness and national security,” stated Dr. Miaoulis. The Triangle Coalition and many of its members have also signed on in support of this initiative.

Miaoulis also called attention to the fact that many of COMPETE’s goals set forth under the 2007 law, especially those related to STEM education, did not materialize because many of the funds were never appropriated. “Although some programs were funded either through appropriations or the Recovery Act,” said Miaoulis, “my concern is that very little was done in the K-12 STEM education space and even less was done for informal science education.”

“With America COMPETES we planted the seeds of something very powerful, but we have to nurture the investment if we want to reap its benefits.” stated Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV). “The authorizations in that legislation expire this year and, as we look toward reauthorization, we need to evaluate our progress.”

The Congressional Budget Office recently released the new budget report, detailing the estimated $86 billion in spending on COMPETES for 2011-2015. The House Science and Technology Committee has also posted a Legislative Highlights summary and full text of the COMPETE bill on its website, with STEM education featured in Title III.

Update 5/13/10: COMPETES has just been pulled from the House Floor and will be sent back to the committee because of Republicans’ objections to the budget and to a recent National Science Foundation scandal involving employees viewing pornography. Find out more at “COMPETES Pulled from House Floor.”  

T&E Policy – Calls to Action
Free Webinar and Conference Call

Thursday, March 25, 2010
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. EST

Hosted by:
International Technology & Engineering Educators Association
National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science, Boston

Background:
The Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act was recently introduced in the U.S. Congress and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently known as No Child Left Behind) is now up for discussion and reauthorization. Learn about steps that you can take to help raise the profile of Technology & Engineering education in STEM and other important public policy.

Agenda:
1. T&E Policy Landscape – Patti Curtis, NCTL/MOS
2. Basics of Contacting Policy Makers – Dave Janosz, ITEA/NJTEA
3. Calls to Action for the E2 for Innovation Act and ESEA Reauthorization
4. Questions & Answers

Access:
Participants can access visual presentations and sample letters online during the webinar.

Webinar URL:
http://connect.nvnet.org/e2webinar/

Please note that many school and company firewalls may block access to the online meeting space. Therefore, a parallel conference call will be used for the audio portion of the presentation.

Conference Call Information:
Dial-in Number: 218-339-4300
Access Code: 515236#

RSVP:
Not required to attend, but please register ahead of time to help us plan:
http://doodle.com/kct347rbrawhtqsc  

Triangle Coalition member, the National Center for Technological Literacy, is one of the organizations that has been spearheading the efforts to support the Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act, which was recently introduced in both the House and the Senate(H.R. 4709, S. 3043).

With hearings currently underway for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), supporters for the E2 bill are seeking to have it included as part of the STEM initiative under ESEA. See below a draft of the recommendations to insert the E2 bill, and technology and engineering more fully, into STEM provisions of the ESEA reauthorization discussion.

Triangle Coalition is proud to support this bill. For more information or to sign on in support of this bill, please contact Triangle Coalition.

DRAFT

TO: House Education & Labor Committee
DT: March 26, 2010
FR: the undersigned…
RE: Reauthorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act

Recommendations to help develop a highly skilled STEM workforce to ensure the United States’ competitiveness and leadership in the global economy

In September 2009, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council released a report entitled Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects. The report studied K-12 engineering curricula and instructional practices. It stressed the need for common definitions and grade-level appropriate goals, as well as more research on the impacts of engineering education and potential models for implementation.

As a result, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4709, the Engineering Education for Innovation Act (E2 for Innovation Act) to further these recommendations through implementation of K-12 engineering education and related evaluation research. In general, this legislation would authorize the Secretary of Education to competitively award planning and implementation grants for educational agencies to integrate engineering education into K-12 curriculum and instruction. It also funds the research and evaluation of such efforts. Specifically, the E2 for Innovation Act would:

• Integrate engineering education into K-12 instruction by designing challenging content and curricula frameworks and assessments that include engineering;

• Increase engineering and technology teacher preparation programs and recruit qualified teachers to provide engineering education in high-need schools;

• Increase student achievement in STEM subjects and knowledge and competency in engineering design skills;

• Promote aspirations for a career in engineering among diverse student populations, especially among girls and underrepresented minorities;

• Invest in afterschool engineering education programs; and

• Promote partnerships among K-12 school administrators and teachers and engineering professionals.

Accordingly, we recommend that H.R. 4079 be included as part of the STEM initiative under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to ensure that federal K-12 education policy catalyzes the development of a highly skilled STEM workforce which will ensure our competitiveness and leadership in the global economy.

Furthermore, we believe it is critical that provisions under ESEA enhance teacher and student knowledge of Technology* and Engineering so that we can inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators. Therefore, we also recommend that reauthorization of ESEA:

1. Expand and rename the “Math and Science Partnerships” to “STEM Partnerships” to include Technology and Engineering educators in professional development opportunities for teachers;

2. Include Technology and Engineering instruction, in addition to Math and Science, in any new provisions dealing with college and career ready standards, core curriculum development, the definition of rigorous curricula, and expanded learning time;

3. Encourage State science assessments to reflect the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science 2009 Framework, which includes technological design skills;

4. Help States prepare for the new online NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment due in 2014 by encouraging States to develop assessment indicators to related to Technology and Engineering for accountability purposes;

5. Allow informal STEM education centers and other non-profit educational organizations to receive federal funds to provide teacher professional development; and,

6. Encourage after school program funds to be used for Technology and Engineering learning, in addition to Math and Science activities.

* It is important to note that Technology Education is not the same as Educational Technologies (i.e. computers and digital communication tools in the classroom). Technology & Engineering Education involves the application of math and science knowledge and skills in open-ended, hands-on, problem-solving, and engineering design challenges.

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

Respectfully submitted by,

National Center for Technological Literacy  

As we mentioned last week, the Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act (H.R.4709, S.3043) was recently introduced in a bipartisan effort by U.S. Senators Gillibrand (D-NY), Kaufman (D-DE), Snowe (R-ME), and Congressman Tonko (D-NY), and included several additional co-sponsors from both the House and the Senate. This bill has received a strong showing of support, not only from Congress, but from at least 75 organizations who have signed on in support, many of whom are Triangle Members. Tomorrow, a conference call and webinar will be held for anyone who wishes to help further support this bill.

Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act
How You Can Help – Conference Call and Webinar

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
3:30 – 4:15 p.m. EST

Hosted by:
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science, Boston

Agenda:
1. Background and Purpose – Patti Curtis, NCTL/MOS
2. Basics of Contacting Policy Makers – Dave Janosz, ITEA/NJTEA
3. Call to Action for the E2 for Innovation Act
4. Questions & Answers

A conference call will be used for the audio portion of the presentation.
Conference Call Information:
Dial-in Number: 218-339-4300
Access Code: 515236#

Participants can access visual presentations and sample letters online during the webinar.
Webinar URL:
http://connect.nvnet.org/e2webinar/

RSVP (not required to attend, just trying to get an idea of who and how many people):
https://www.doodle.com/empu528iqut4rxf4  

Last week, U.S. Senators Gillibrand (D-NY), Kaufman (D-DE), Snowe (R-ME), and Congressman Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act, legislation that would increase student achievement in STEM, with its main focus on K-12 engineering education. Senators Cantwell (D-WA), Murray (D-WA), and Klobuchar (D-MN) also co-sponsored the bill (H.R.4709, S.3043).

Through competitive grant programs, the E2 for Innovation Act would fund the development and implementation of engineering education into K-12 curriculum and instruction in order to spark student interest in engineering. In addition, E2 would encourage broader participation of girls and underrepresented minorities, invest in afterschool engineering education programs, and also fund the research to measure the efficacy of such programs.

In a passionately delivered floor speech, Senator Kaufman stated, “I believe we are at a crucial moment for STEM education. Today’s engineers have a central role to play in developing the innovative technologies that will help our economy recover and promote real job growth. In turn, we must promote policies and programs that help to generate greater interest in STEM and actually lead to the production of a greater number of engineers.”

While science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is a priority of national education policy, initiatives focus almost exclusively on math and science, overlooking the engineering and technology education components. Norm Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin, expressed strong support for the E2 Act, stating, “One of the many reasons our nation does not seem to attract young people into engineering is that many seem to have no idea what an engineer does. Although we attempt to teach math and science in K-12, seldom do we expose students to engineering.”

The E2 Act would seek to increase the number of students who choose careers in STEM and to maintain the global competitiveness of the United States. According to The National Science Board, only 5% of college graduates in the U.S. major in Engineering, compared with 12% of European students and 20% of those in Asia. “If we are going to support an economy that is driven by our ability to solve problems through technology development, then we need to increase our students’ interest and understanding of engineering down to the earliest ages,” said Rep. Tonko. “This bill is a critical step to prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow and retain our standing worldwide as the home of innovation.”

Over 75 organizations have signed on in support of the bill, including National Society of Professional Engineers, National Center for Technological Literacy, Intel, IBM, and Lockheed Martin, as well as many Triangle Coalition members.