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Washington, DC (March 28, 2007) – Today, the Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science (PALS), introduced by Congressman Rubén Hinojosa earlier this year, was passed out of the Science and Technology Committee. The bill was included as an amendment to H.R. 362, which authorizes science scholarships for educating mathematics and science teachers.

Specifically, the PALS Act will authorize a $5 million grant to establish a pilot program that will connect needy school districts with colleges, universities, and the private sector in an effort to improve lab instruction. The Act will also develop models for redesigning laboratories that will further improve science instruction and student learning. 

 “Our next generation of scientists and engineers are waiting to be discovered in our nation’s classrooms,” said Hinojosa. “We must make sure that our high schools are properly equipped to provide them with laboratory experiences that will foster their talents and a life-long interest in science.” 

Rep. Hinojosa’s legislation comes at a critical time: The National Research Council recently released a report concluding that the current state of laboratory experiences is substandard for most students. The group also discovered that schools with higher concentrations of non-Asian minorities and poor students are less likely to have adequate laboratory facilities. In fact, the Council’s latest report card included an astonishing figure: only one in four Black or Hispanic students take the three major laboratory sciences – biology, chemistry, and physics – needed to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors during college.

 “With these types of statistics, it should come as no surprise that we are losing our edge in producing experts in math, science, and engineering,” said Hinojosa.  “We must redouble our efforts to engage young people in these fields early on in their academic careers. Our nation’s future competitiveness depends on it.”

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, the third-ranking Democrat on the Science and Technology Committee, sponsored the amendment. H.R. 362 is expected to be considered by the House of Representatives in April.