Legislative Highlights :: December 7, 2005
The bill implements most of the K-12 science education recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. It establishes a scholarship program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide scholarships to science, math and engineering students who commit to become science or math teachers at elementary and secondary schools; authorizes summer teacher training institutes at NSF and the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of in-service science and math teachers; establishes a master’s degree program at NSF for in-service science and mathematics teachers; and established training programs at NSF for preparing science and math teachers to teach Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses in science and math.
Introduced in the House December 6, 2005
Program [agency] FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 Total
Teacher scholarships [NSF]
85
220
400
590
690
1985
Summer teacher institutes [NSF]
37
92
110
110
110
459
Summer teacher institutes [DOE]
3
8
10
10
10
41
Master's Degree programs [NSF]
200
400
600
600
600
2400
AP IP teacher training [NSF]
92
153
219
296
357
1117
K-12 Curricular materials [NSF]
30
31
32
33
34
160
Total 447 904 1371 1639 1801 6162
Section 1 is the table of contents.
Section 2 contains definitions used in the bill.
Section 101 is the short title of the bill.
Section 102 contains findings that relate the bill to the NAS report findings and recommendations.
Section 103 states the policy objective of the bill, which is to increase by 10,000 annually the number of capable K-12 science and math teachers.
Section 104 establishes a scholarship program administered by NSF with the following features:
Section 105 creates a trust fund to accept gifts and donations for funding scholarships under section 104.
Section 106 authorizes $85 million for NSF for FY 2007, $220 million for FY 2008, $400 million for FY 2009, $590 million for FY 2010, and $690 million for FY 2011. This assumes ramping up to 10,000 new scholarships per year by year 3 at an average of $15,000 each and ramping up institutional awards over 3 years to $100 million per year. A steady state of 40,000 active scholarships and 10,000 graduates per year is reached in year six. The appropriations required will depend on actual cost of attendance for scholarship recipients and the level of trust fund contributions.
Section 201 authorizes summer institutes at NSF and DOE:
Section 202 establishes a master’s degree program for science and math teachers administered by NSF with the following features:
Section 203 establishes a teacher training program administered by NSF to prepare science and math teachers to teach Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses with the following features:
Section 204: (1) establishes a national panel of experts to identify and collect K-12 science and mathematics teaching materials that have been demonstrated to be effective and to recommend the development of new materials in areas where effective materials do not exist; (2) directs NSF and the Department of Education to develop ways to disseminate effective materials and support efforts to develop new materials, in accordance with the recommendations of the national panel; and (3) authorizes NSF’s Instructional Materials Development activity at the FY 05 level of $30 million (the activity was cut by 33% for FY 06) and provides 3% increases for the next 4 years.
Download the bill description »
The following table compares the provisions of H.R. 4434 to the recommendations made by the Augustine Committee in its report:
Augustine Report Recommendations |
H.R. 4434 |
---|---|
Recommendation A-1: 10,000 4-year (up to $20,000 per year) scholarships for science, math and engineering majors to become science and math teachers. Grants of $1 million per year for up to 5 years to institutions of higher education to establish integrated 4-year undergrad programs leading to a bachelor’s degree in science, math or engineering with teacher certification. FY 2007, $110 million. |
H.R. 4434 tracks A-1 provisions. Establishes program at National Science Foundation (NSF); requires grantees to set up undergrad educational program and provide scholarships. FY 2007, $85 million. |
Recommendation A-2a: One- to two-week summer teacher institutes. FY 2007, $40 million. |
H.R. 4434 directs NSF to expand existing Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century program to include one- to two-week summer teacher institutes. FY 2007, $37 million. H.R. 4434 directs DOE to expand existing Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development program (longer than standard teacher institutes with continued interactions during school year). FY 2007, $3 million. |
Recommendation A-2b: Two-year, part-time master’s degree programs for science and math teachers. FY 2007, $46 million. |
H.R. 4434 tracks A-2 recommendation by establishing the program at NSF. FY 2007, $200 million (the initial National Academies estimate for the cost of this program, since dropped to $46 million). |
Recommendation A-2c: Train 70,000 teachers to teach Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) courses and 80,000 to teach pre-AP/IB courses in math and science. FY 2007, $100 million. |
H.R. 4434 tracks A-2 recommendation by expanding existing Teacher Professional Continuum program at NSF. FY 2007, $92 million. |
Recommendation A-2d: Provide K-12 curricular materials modeled on world-class standards. FY 2007, $20 million. |
H.R. 4434 requires NSF to establish a national panel to identify and collect materials demonstrated to be effective and, in consultation with DEd, to develop ways to disseminate effective materials. It also increases funding authorized for NSF’s long-standing Instructional Materials Development activity. FY 2007, $30 million (+$5 million above FY 2006 actual). |
For a comparison to Senate legislation and the President's competitiveness initiative, download this chart prepared by the Democratic staff.
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