1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Spurring Teacher Education Movement for STEM Act” or the “STEM for STEM Act”.
Spurring Teacher Education Movement for STEM Act
A BILL
To amend the rural and low-income program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include professional development in STEM education, and for other purposes.
2. Findings; Sense of Congress
Findings— Congress finds the following:
The National Center for Education Statistics found that high school students from 29 nations performed better in math than high school students from the United States.
High school students from 22 nations performed better in science than high school students from the United States.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that—
the United States should be at the forefront of education for science, technology, engineering, and math (in this section referred to as “STEM”);
students in low income and rural areas have limited access to STEM resources;
teachers should have high-quality professional development opportunities in STEM to increase their content knowledge and improve student learning; and
teacher professional development should provide strategies for integrating STEM education across all demographics.
3. Uses of funds for rural and low-income school program
Section 6222(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7351a(a)(2)) is amended—
by striking “and to” and inserting “, to”; and
by adding before the period at the end the following: “, and to train teachers in the area of science, technology, engineering, and math education”.