SEC. 1. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds that -

(1) There is a national concern that the nation's preeminence in innovation is eroding. A recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted the American share of "highly influential" papers published in peer-reviewed journals fell to 58 percent in 2003, from 63 percent in 1998. The report also discussed how only 4 percent of American college graduates major in engineering, compared with 13 percent of European students and 20 percent of those in Asia. In addition, the United States ranks 10th in the world in the proportion of its adults ages 25 to 34 who hold at least an associate degree.

(2) The introduction of K-12 engineering education has the potential to improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness about what engineers do and of engineering as a potential career, and boost students' technological literacy, according to a new report, Engineering in K-12 Education, from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council (NRC).

(3) The report also identifies three core principles for K-12 engineering education: 1) emphasize engineering design process; 2) incorporate important and developmentally appropriate mathematics, science, and technology knowledge and skills; and, 3) promote engineering habits of mind including systems thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and attention to ethical considerations.

(4) While exposure to formal engineering education has increased dramatically over the past 15 years, reaching several million K-12 students, most students in the United States have never experienced an engineering course or lesson.

(5) There is also a lack of diversity in these existing K-12 engineering education opportunities. The number of girls and underrepresented minorities participating in K-12 engineering education does not correspond to their proportion of the general population.

(6) Only a handful of states, such as Massachusetts and Tennessee, have adopted Science, Technology, and Engineering standards.

(7) K-12 engineering education in the United States is supported by a relatively small number of curricular and teacher professional development programs.

(8) While STEM education is viewed as a national education policy, often the implementation of policies and initiatives focuses exclusively on mathematics and science and overlooks the engineering and technology education components.

(9) Schools often narrowly refer to the term “technology literate” as the ability to use educational technologies. However, it actually has a much broader meaning The concept of Technological Literacy, as espoused by the National Academies of Engineering, includes: 1) knowledge of technology, the engineering design process, and impacts on society; 2) critical thinking and decision making weighing benefits, risks, costs, and tradeoffs; and, 3) capability to use a variety of technologies, apply the design process, fix simple technological problems, and obtain and understand information about technological issues. It is important to note that this concept is not finite, like any other form of literacy, technological literacy is expected to move along a continuum as students mature and their cognitive capacities increase. The Standards for Technological Literacy, developed by International Technology Education Association and passed by a formal review by the NAE and NRC, closely align to the Academies concept.

(10) To support an innovation economy and maintain our country's vitality and security, we must expand students' understanding of technology and engineering and widen the pipeline to careers in these fields so that a diverse array of talented students can pursue them.

(11) Recently the federal government has taken an interest in expanding K-12 engineering and technology education. Testing of technological design skills will be assessed as part of the new NAEP Science 2009 assessment to be given to students throughout the United States. The National Assessment Governing Board is currently developing a NAEP Technological Literacy probe study to be administered in 2012 that will assess design and systems, information and communication technology, and technology and society.

(12) To further expand K-12 engineering education, the E2 for Innovation Act seeks to support planning and implementing grants for state educational agencies to invest in programs and activities to integrate engineering education into K-12 classrooms and to fund research and evaluation programs of such efforts.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

In this Act:

(1) TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY - the capacity to use, understand, and evaluate technology as well as to apply concepts and processes to solve problems and reach one's goals. It encompasses the three areas of technology and society, engineering design and systems, and information and communication technology (as currently being considered by NAGB).

SEC. 3. PLANNING GRANTS.

(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. -

(1) IN GENERAL. - The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation and other relevant heads of federal agencies, is authorized to award planning grants to eligible state educational agencies to enable the state educational agencies to complete comprehensive planning to carry out activities designed to integrate engineering education into K-12 classrooms.

(2) GRANT PERIOD. - A planning grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than 1 year.

(3) NONRENEWABILITY. - The Secretary of Education shall not award an eligible entity more than 1 planning grant under this Act.

(4) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT. - A planning grant awarded under this section shall not exceed $1,000,000.

(b) PARTNERSHIP. - The state educational agency shall complete comprehensive planning to carry out activities designed to integrate engineering education into K-12 classrooms in coordination with state partners, including the following:

(1) the Governor of the State or the designee of the Governor;

(2) the chief State school officer;

(3) not less than 1 faculty member from a school of engineering at an institution of higher education in the State;

(4) not less than 1 faculty member from a school of education at an institution of higher education in the State;

(5) not less than 1 public elementary school administrator employed in the State;

(6) not less than 1 public elementary school teacher employed in the State;

(7) not less than 1 public secondary school administrator employed in the State;

(8) not less than 1 public secondary school engineering or technology teacher employed in the State;

(9) not less than 1 representative of the business community in the State;

(10) not less than 1 representative from a non-profit organization, including informal science education centers; and

(11) any additional representatives identified by the state educational agency that possess an expertise in developing high quality K-12 engineering education materials and resources.

(b) APPLICATION. -

(1) IN GENERAL. - Each state educational agency desiring a planning grant under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary of Education at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary of Education may require.

(2) APPLICATION CONTENTS. - Each application described in paragraph (1), at a minimum, shall -

(A) include a description of how the eligible state educational agency proposes to use the planning grant funds to develop a plan designed to integrate engineering education into K-12 classrooms;

(B) describe the roles and responsibilities of the partners participating in the planning under this section;

(C) provide a budget for the use of the planning grant funds; and

(D) provide such additional assurances and information as the Secretary of Education determines to be necessary.

(c) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.

An eligible state educational agency receiving a planning grant under this section shall use the planning grant funds to carry out each of the following activities:

(1) REVIEW. - The eligible state educational agency shall review resources and programs across the eligible state educational agency and its partners that are relevant to the objectives of the grant, and coordinate any new plans and resources under this section with such existing resources and programs.

(2) PLAN. - The eligible state educational agency shall develop an implementation plan to achieve the objective of integrating engineering education K-12 classrooms. The plan shall include a description of how the eligible state educational agency will carry out the following:

(A) Set intermediate and long-term measurable goals.

(B) Develop and implement a coherent plan for achieving the goals, including the following core set of activities:

(i) An analysis of the states existing K-12 content standards and assessments to determine -

(I) the extent to which they address the integration of engineering education into K-12 classrooms; and

(II) the extent to which they align with workforce and postsecondary expectations

(ii) An analysis of the states existing K-12 engineering education curricula, which shall include the development of a baseline analysis of key indicators that measure-

(I) the number and diversity of students that are exposed to this curricula, including the number of girls and underrepresented minorities;

(II) the effectiveness of the curricula at -

(aa) improving student learning;

(bb) improving student engagement and retention;

(cc) increasing understanding of engineering;

(dd) increasing STEM career aspirations; and

(ee) increasing technological literacy skills

(iii) An analysis of the states K-12 engineering and technology education teaching workforce, which shall include the development of a baseline analysis of key indicators that measure -

(I) the number of K-12 teachers that received any certificates or credentials in engineering or technology education, including the number that have received professional development in engineering education;

(II) the number and types of pre-service, induction, and professional development engineering and technology education programs;

(III) the effectiveness of the indentified pre-service, induction, and professional development engineering and technology education programs as they relate to -

(aa) improving student learning;

(bb) improving student engagement and retention;

(cc) increasing understanding of engineering; and

(dd) increasing STEM career aspirations; and

(ee) increasing technological literacy skills

(iv) Create a plan for ongoing collection and analysis of data on outcomes, including progress toward outcomes.

(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of the next _4_ fiscal years.

SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.

(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. - The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation and other relevant heads of federal agencies, is authorized to award grants to eligible state educational agencies to enable the eligible state education agencies to implement innovative, integrative engineering education initiatives into K-12 classrooms.

(b) DURATION AND RENEWAL. -

(1) DURATION. - The Secretary of Education shall award grants under this section for not more than 4 years.

(2) RENEWAL. - The Secretary of Education may renew a grant awarded under this section subject to the progress of the eligible entity in meeting benchmarks described in subsection (h).

(c) MINIMUM AMOUNT. - The Secretary of Education shall award a grant under this chapter in an amount that is not less than a total of $10,000,000 awarded over the period of the grant.

(d) PRIORITY. -

(1) IN GENERAL. - In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary of Education shall give priority to state educational agencies that submit an application under subsection (e) that demonstrates -

(A) satisfaction of the required activities or comparable activities under subsection (c) of section 2 as determined by the Secretary;

(B) a plan to serve significant percentages of girls and underrepresented minorities; and

(C) an intent to collaborate with the state's partners under subsection (b) of section 2 in carrying out activities described subsection (f) of this section.

(D) an intent in which the state's partners under subsection (b) of section 2 agree to pay a portion of the non-Federal share costs, provided in cash or in-kind, of the programs and activities carried out under the grant.

(e) APPLICATIONS.

An eligible state educational agency that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary of Education may require. Each such application shall include a description of how the eligible state educational agency will integrate engineering education into K-12 classrooms through programs and activities described in subsection (f).

(f) USES OF FUNDS.

An eligible state educational agency that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out the following programs and activities:

(1) implementing challenging academic content standards, achievement standards, and curricula frameworks that include engineering;

(2) developing new or obtaining effective curricula in engineering education;

(3) designing and implementing engineering education assessment items and tools;

(4) developing or improving elementary and secondary teacher pre-service, induction, and professional development engineering and technology education programs, including those that lead to a certificate or other credential in engineering or technology education;

(5) recruiting qualified teachers to provide engineering education for high-need local educational agencies and high-need schools;

(5) establishing distance learning modules for teachers and/or students in engineering education;

(6) creating online engineering education tools that are widely accessible; or

(7) investing in after school engineering education programs.

(g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

The Secretary of Education is authorized to reserve not more than 1 percent of the amounts available to carry out this section to provide technical assistance, directly or by grant or contract with nonprofit organizations with demonstrated expertise in designing, implementing, or evaluating relevant programs, in order to help eligible state educational agencies prepare for, qualify for, apply for, and maintain a grant under this section.

(h) BENCHMARKS. -

(1) BENCHMARKS. - Each eligible state educational agency desiring a grant under this chapter shall -

(A) develop quantifiable benchmarks for the eligible state educational agency and the activities supported under the grant based, which may include -

(i) increasing student achievement in STEM subjects;

(ii) increasing student knowledge and competency of grade appropriate engineering design skills;

(iii) increasing the number of students that are taught engineering education;

(iv) increasing the number of educators that are prepared to teach engineering education; and

(v) increasing the number and diversity of students that plan to enroll in postsecondary engineering courses and pursue an engineering degree.

(B) submit the benchmarks for approval to the Secretary of Education in order to receive grant funds under this section.

(2) REPORTS. - Each eligible state educational agency receiving a grant under this section shall -

(A) annually measure and report to the Secretary of Education the progress of the eligible state educational agency in achieving the benchmarks developed under paragraph (1); and

(B) collect and report data relating to the benchmarks, disaggregated by the students' and teachers' race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender.

(3) PROGRESS REVIEW. -

By not later than the end of the second year of a grant under this section, the Secretary of Education shall review the performance of each eligible state educational agency receiving such grant, based on the benchmarks developed under paragraph (1) for the eligible state educational agency.

(4) GUIDANCE. - The Secretary of Education shall provide guidance regarding acceptable data sources and methodologies for -

(A) establishing baselines and performance benchmarks; and

(B) measuring progress by eligible state educational agencies receiving such grants.

(i) FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL SHARE; SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.

(1) FEDERAL SHARE. - The amount of the Federal share under this section for a fiscal year shall be not greater than 1/2 of the costs of the programs and activities described in subsection (f) that are carried out under the grant.

(2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE. -

(A) IN GENERAL. - The amount of the non-Federal share under this section for a fiscal year shall be not less than 1/2 of the costs of the programs and activities described in subsection (f) that are carried out under the grant. The non-Federal share may be in cash or in kind, and may be provided from State resources, local resources, contributions from private organizations, contributions from the state's partners under subsection (b) of section 2, or a combination thereof.

(2) FINANCIAL HARDSHIP WAIVER. - The Secretary of Education may waive or reduce the non-Federal share of an eligible state educational agency that has submitted an application for a grant under this section if the eligible state educational agency demonstrates a need for such waiver or reduction due to extreme financial hardship.

(3) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT. - The Federal and non-Federal shares required by this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, State and other Federal funds.

(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. - There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for each of the next _4_ fiscal years.

SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND EVALUATIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL. - The Institute of Education Sciences shall provide for research and evaluation of the grants awarded in section 3, that -

(1) assess the effectiveness of the programs and activities carried out by each eligible state educational agency receiving a grant under section 3 in -

(A) improving student learning in STEM subjects;

(B) improving student understanding of engineering;

(D) enhancing technological literacy of students;

(E) increasing student engagement and retention;

(F) increasing numbers and diversity of students with STEM career aspirations; and

(G) increasing the supply of engineering and technology education teachers.

(2) assess how the programs and activities carried out by each eligible state educational agency receiving a grant under section 3 can be replicated by a variety of states and local educational agencies.

(3) assess how the programs and activities carried out by each eligible state educational agency receiving a grant under section 3 lead to students developing engineering design ideas, practices and habits of mind over time and the type of conditions necessary to support these developments; and

(4) identify and assess how science inquiry and mathematical reasoning can be connected to engineering design in K-12 curricula and teacher professional development; and

(5) include any other information or assessments the Secretary of Education may require.

(b) DISSEMINATION. - The Secretary of Education shall, based on the results of each evaluation completed under subsection (a), disseminate information and analysis to the public, and provide technical assistance to state educational agencies, on best practices and promising innovations in the field of K-12 engineering education.

(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. - There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of the next _4_ fiscal years.