House Approves Key Education Bills For Teachers Co-Sponsored by Rep. Grucci

H.R. 1858, H.R. 100 Offer Aid To Teaching Profession, Targeting Math, Science

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Felix J. Grucci, Jr. announced that the House of Representatives passed two bills he had co-sponsored, targeted at improving American students' declining proficiency in science and math. The bipartisan votes clear the bills for Senate consideration.

Rep. Grucci (R-NY1) was a co-sponsor of H.R. 1858, which would authorize Mathematics and Science Partnerships to create new scholarships to attract top college junior and senior math and science majors into teaching; and establish four new university centers for research into teaching and learning.

"This bill will help us attract the best and the brightest young minds of our nation into the teaching profession, providing our students with the skills and education they need to succeed throughout their lives," said Rep. Grucci. "These mathematics and science partnerships will help us train better teachers, to provide stronger curriculums for our students, to ensure a brighter future."

The National Mathematics and Science Partnerships Act requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish various programs relating to elementary and secondary school mathematics and science teaching and education. It also requires the director of the NSF to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education grants or eligible nonprofit institutions for Mathematics and Science Education Partnerships with local educational agencies, which may also include State educational agencies and businesses. In addition, it sets forth authorized program activities, requires certain enrichment program activities for girls, and allows support for secondary student research projects, and for stipends for certain teacher or student research activities.

H.R. 100, which was also co-sponsored by Rep. Grucci, provides funding for a master teacher program to aid science and math teachers. "The future of our nation, and our national economy, will be firmly based on industries that rely strongly on workers with solid mathematical and scientific backgrounds. We need to arm our teachers with the tools to prepare our students to compete with the rest of the world," said Rep. Grucci. "By creating a master teacher program, we'll be able to teach our educators how to teach better, and provide them with the training and support they need to provide the best education for our children."

The National Science Education Act (H.R. 100) requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to establish various programs relating to science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education. Under this act, the NSF director would award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to train master teachers, who will improve the teaching of mathematics and science from kindergarten through ninth grade by mentoring other teachers; and assisting elementary and secondary schools to design and implement master teacher programs. Under this act, the National Academy of Sciences would also review and evaluate existing studies on the effectiveness of technology in the classroom on learning and student performance. The NSF would also award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to provide distance learning opportunities for elementary or secondary school students to participate in research activities in mathematics or science at such institutions through the Internet.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.