BUILDING BLOCKS OF STEM ACT

On 2019-12-09, Representative Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3) delivered a floor speech titled "BUILDING BLOCKS OF STEM ACT" in the House.

BUILDING BLOCKS OF STEM ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 165 Issue 196 (Monday, December 9, 2019) [Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 196 (Monday, December 9, 2019)] [House] [Pages H9362-H9363] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] BUILDING BLOCKS OF STEM ACT Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 737) to direct the National Science Foundation to support STEM education research focused on early childhood. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 737 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Building Blocks of STEM Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) The National Science Foundation is a large investor in STEM education and plays a key role in setting research and policy agendas. (2) While studies have found that children who engage in scientific activities from an early age develop positive attitudes toward science and are more likely to pursue STEM expertise and careers later on, the majority of current research focuses on increasing STEM opportunities for middle school-aged children and older. (3) Women remain widely underrepresented in the STEM workforce, and this disparity extends down through all levels of education. SEC. 3. SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ELEMENTARY STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH. In awarding grants under the Discovery Research PreK-12 program, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider the age distribution of a STEM education research and development project to improve the focus of research and development on elementary and prekindergarten education. SEC. 4. SUPPORTING FEMALE STUDENTS IN PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN STEM EDUCATION. Section 305(d) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-5(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(3) Research.--As a component of improving participation of women in STEM fields, research funded by a grant under this subsection may include research on-- ``(A) the role of teacher training and professional development, including effective incentive structures to encourage teachers to participate in such training and professional development, in encouraging or discouraging female students in prekindergarten through elementary school from participating in STEM activities; ``(B) the role of teachers in shaping perceptions of STEM in female students in prekindergarten through elementary school and discouraging such students from participating in STEM activities; ``(C) the role of other facets of the learning environment on the willingness of female students in prekindergarten through elementary school to participate in STEM activities, including learning materials and textbooks, seating arrangements, use of media and technology, classroom culture, and composition of students during group work; ``(D) the role of parents and other caregivers in encouraging or discouraging female students in prekindergarten through elementary school from participating in STEM activities; ``(E) the types of STEM activities that encourage greater participation by female students in prekindergarten through elementary school; ``(F) the role of mentorship and best practices in finding and utilizing mentors; and ``(G) the role of informal and after-school STEM learning opportunities on the perception of and participation in STEM activities of female students in prekindergarten through elementary school.''. SEC. 5. SUPPORTING FEMALE STUDENTS IN PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION. Section 310(b) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-7(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(3) Uses of funds.--The tools and models described in paragraph (2)(C) may include-- ``(A) offering training and professional development programs, including summer or academic year institutes or workshops, designed to strengthen the capabilities of prekindergarten and elementary school teachers and to familiarize such teachers with the role of bias against female students in the classroom; ``(B) offering innovative pre-service and in-service programs that instruct teachers on female-inclusive practices for teaching computing concepts; ``(C) developing distance learning programs for teachers or students, including developing curricular materials, play- based computing activities, and other resources for the in- service professional development of teachers that are made available to teachers through the Internet; ``(D) developing or adapting prekindergarten and elementary school computer science curricular materials that incorporate contemporary research on the science of learning, particularly with respect to female inclusion; ``(E) developing and offering female-inclusive computer science enrichment programs for students, including after- school and summer programs; ``(F) providing mentors for female students in prekindergarten through elementary school to support such students in participating in computer science activities; ``(G) engaging female students in prekindergarten through elementary school, and their guardians (if such communication takes place on school premises during otherwise-scheduled conferences or formal conversations between teachers and guardians) about-- ``(i) the difficulties faced by female students with regard to maintaining an interest in participating in computer science activities; and ``(ii) the potential positive career benefits of engaging in such activities; ``(H) acquainting female students in prekindergarten through elementary school with careers in computer science and encouraging such students to consider careers in the computer science field; and ``(I) developing tools to evaluate activities conducted under this subsection, including reports for evaluating the effectiveness of activities under this section.''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas. General Leave Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 737, the bill under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Texas? There was no objection. Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 737, the Building Blocks of STEM Act. The demand for computer science skills is on the rise across all sectors of the economy. To ensure that we have the capacity to meet that demand, we must attract more students to study computer science. A major challenge for increasing the number of computer science graduates is the low participation of women. [[Page H9363]] Even as access to high school computer science courses increases, female participation remains low. At high schools offering advanced placement courses in computer science, only 23 percent of the students taking the exam are girls. Research shows us that interventions at the high school level may come too late. Girls as young as 6 years old are internalizing gender- based stereotypes that discourage them from engaging in STEM activities, including computer science. The Building Blocks of STEM Act directs the National Science Foundation to support research into factors that contribute to the early adoption of these stereotypes. The bill also directs the National Science Foundation to support the development of models for intervention to prevent or reverse the effects of these negative and false stereotypes. I thank my colleagues Representatives Stevens and Baird and Senators Rosen and Capito for their leadership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. How appropriate that today the House is taking up S. 737, the Building Blocks of STEM Act, just as the Nation kicks off a celebration of Computer Science Education Week. S. 737, the Building Blocks of STEM Act, is important, bipartisan legislation to improve science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science, or STEM, education. It directs the National Science Foundation to support STEM research focused on early childhood education and to award grants to encourage young girls to pursue computer science learning. Studies have found that children who engage in scientific activities from an early age develop positive attitudes toward science and are more likely to pursue STEM expertise and careers. Across the country, the share of STEM jobs has expanded significantly, with STEM employment nearly doubling over the last 30 years. Currently, there are over half a million open computing jobs in the United States, in every industry and in every State. This demand is projected to grow at twice the rate of any other field, and America is failing to meet it. We can succeed, though, and we can do it by encouraging children, particularly young girls, in STEM in early childhood and sustaining that interest as they grow. More students with STEM degrees means more advanced American technologies and a more robust economy. But it is not just about the economy. STEM graduates have the potential to develop technologies that can save thousands of lives, jump-start a new industry, or even discover new worlds. It has been shown that female students who learn computer science before college are 10 times more likely to major in it. By supporting more hands-on STEM engagement at younger ages, we are supporting and investing in America's future. I thank Representative Bair

Referenced legislation: S737, S737