Legislative Highlights :: January 10, 2007

“10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds” Science and Math Scholarship Act

Introduced in the House January 10, 2007
Reported (as amended) by the Committee March 28, 2007

Passed by the House on April 24, 2007

View a list of organizations endorsing this legislation

The bill implements most of the K–12 science education recommendations of the National Academies report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.” It establishes a teacher education program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage math, science, and engineering faculty to work with education faculty to improve the education of mathematics and science teachers and to provide scholarships to students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields who commit to becoming mathematics and science teachers at elementary and secondary schools; authorizes summer teacher training institutes at NSF and DOE to improve the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of in-service mathematics and science teachers, including preparing them to teach challenging course in science and math such as the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses; requires that NSF include support for master’s degree programs for in-service mathematics and science teachers within the NSF Math and Science Partnerships; authorizes funding for the NSF STEM Talent Expansion program and expands the program to include centers for improving undergraduate STEM education; and establishes a laboratory science pilot project at NSF.

Title I – Science Scholarships

• Provides competitive awards to institutions of higher education (or consortia of such institutions) that (1) establish cross-department faculty teams (STEM faculty along with education faculty) to develop courses of instruction leading to baccalaureate degrees in STEM fields and also preparing graduates to become certified or licensed to teach in a K–12 classroom, and (2) administer scholarships for students during their sophomore through senior years and summer internships during their freshman years.
• Requires early field teaching experiences for student teachers in the program under the supervision of highly experienced and effective teachers.
• Requires awardees to provide professional development and mentoring support to scholarship recipients, after matriculation.
• Sets scholarship amounts at the cost of attendance at particular institutions, not to exceed $10,000 per year, and provides up to 3 years of scholarship support for any individual.
• Requires scholarship recipients to commit to teaching for up to 6 years following graduation (the period of teaching commitment is based on the number of years of scholarship support), reduces the commitment by one year for individuals who teach at high-need schools, and converts the scholarships to loans if the teaching commitment is not met.
• Authorizes NSF to accept donations from the private sector to help support scholarships and internships.
• Authorizes $70 million for NSF for FY 2008, $101 million for FY 2009, $133 million for FY 2010, $164 million for FY 2011, and $196 million for FY 2012.

Title II – Mathematics and Science Education Improvement

• Authorizes the development of master’s degree programs for in-service mathematics and science teachers.
• Authorizes teacher training activities to prepare teachers to teach challenging courses in mathematics and science, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, and provides for mentoring by professional scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

• Directs NSF to establish a grant program to support summer or academic year teacher institutes and authorizes summer teacher institutes as a component of the NSF 21st Century program. Such summer institutes are required to include teacher training activities to prepare teachers to teach challenging courses in mathematics and science, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.
• Authorizes $32 million for NSF for FY 2008, $35.2 million for FY 2009, and $38.7 million for FY 2010, $42.6 million for FY 2011, and $46.8 million for FY 2012.
• The following amounts are authorized for the existing Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development program at DOE: $3 million for FY 2008, $8 million for FY 2009, and $10 million for each year FY 2010 through FY 2012.

• Provide stipends to defray the cost of attendance for teachers in the program.
• Allow for support for the development of the courses of instruction and related educational materials and equipment (offering of online learning is an option).
• Require the distribution of awards among institutions of different sizes and geographic locations.

Authorizes $46 million for NSF for FY 2008, $50.6 million for FY 2009, $55.7 million for FY 2010, $61.2 million for FY 2011, and $67.3 million for FY 2012.

• Centers for the development of undergraduate curriculum and teaching methods and for training faculty and teaching assistants in effective pedagogical practices.
• Assessment of the effectiveness of the centers and dissemination of information about materials and methods developed.

Authorizes $44 million for NSF for the STEM Talent Expansion program for FY 2008, of which $4 million is available for centers; $55 million for FY 2009, of which $10 million is available for centers; and $60 million for each year of FY 2010 through FY 2012, of which $10 million is available in each year for centers.

• teacher training and professional development of teachers;
• the development of instructional programs; and
• the acquisition or maintenance of instrumentation and equipment.

The program authorizes appropriations of $5 million for FY 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for FY 2009, 2010, and 2011.

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