Federal

Data Science and Literacy Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 4,037 words in original text

What This Bill Does

The bill directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to schools and colleges to increase access to data literacy and data science education. The grants support projects that improve students' data reasoning skills from pre-kindergarten through college and serve as models for data science education nationally. ##

Who It Affects

- State education agencies - Local school districts - Tribal schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education or under tribal self-determination agreements - Colleges and universities - Students in pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education - Data science and statistics teachers - Underrepresented students in science and math fields ##

Key Provisions

- The Secretary of Education awards grants on a competitive basis to eligible organizations to carry out data literacy and science projects (Sec. 101) - Grant recipients must use funds for at least two of eight specified activities, including curriculum development, student learning support, professional development for teachers, and industry partnerships (Sec. 103) - Recipients must submit reports at least twice per year with data on students served, broken down by race, ethnicity, gender, and income level (Sec. 104) - The Secretary must evaluate grant effectiveness within five years and submit recommendations to Congress (Sec. 104) - Schools can use up to 15 percent of grant funds to purchase equipment (Sec. 103) ##

What Changes

If enacted, the federal government will begin funding data literacy education programs at schools and colleges. Schools will be required to track and report demographic data on students served. The federal government will collect and report information about secondary school STEM teachers every five years, including their subjects, educational backgrounds, race, ethnicity, and gender. ##

Important Definitions

- **Data literacy**: The ability to understand and communicate claims based on data, including what data are, where they come from, and what aspects of the world they represent (Sec. 105) - **Data science**: The combined use of statistics, mathematics, and computer science to analyze data and provide tools to work with data (Sec. 105) - **Underrepresented student**: A student from a population traditionally underrepresented in science and math fields, including female students, students of color, and students from low-income families (Sec. 105) - **STEM fields**: Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, statistics, and computer science (Sec. 105) ##

Effective Date

The provisions about collecting and reporting statistics on secondary school STEM teachers take effect one year after the bill becomes law (Sec. 201). Not specified in bill text for other provisions.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1050 To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants for the purpose of increasing access to data literacy education, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Ms. STEVENS (for herself, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. BEYER, and Mrs. KIM of Cali- fornia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants for the purpose of increasing access to data literacy edu- cation, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Data Science and Literacy Act of 2023’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 6 this Act is as follows: 7 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. TITLE I—DATA LITERACY EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1050 IH Sec. 101. Grant program established. Sec. 102. Applications. Sec. 103. Use of funds. Sec. 104. Reporting and evaluation. Sec. 105. Definitions. Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE II—STATISTICS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STEM TEACHERS Sec. 201. Amendments to the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress finds the following: 2 (1) Data science and literacy are vital for 3 United States residents in an era of intense global 4 competition and growing reliance on data. 5 (2) The American people constantly interact 6 with and are affected by data. For example, they— 7 (A) regularly consume data, such as edu- 8 cational data, business data, financial data, 9 medical data, sports statistics, and data-based 10 claims in news media; 11 (B) are included in a variety of data sets, 12 such as medical and credit histories, web 13 searches, social media activity, and purchase 14 histories; and 15 (C) interact with products that are the re- 16 sult of data-driven processes. For example, 17 medications and other medical interventions are 18 tested in randomized trials to assess their effi- 19 cacy and safety. Similarly, data are often used 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1050 IH to inform policy decisions that have consider- 1 able impact on citizens. 2 (3) Data literacy is increasingly integral in the 3 fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathe- 4 matics (STEM) and other fields. 5 (4) Data literacy is essential for both effective 6 citizenship and personal well-being. Data literacy is 7 an integral skill for understanding data-driven 8 claims and making personal decisions in the 21st 9 century. This includes the need to— 10 (A) contribute to the digital economy as a 11 productive member of the workforce; 12 (B) interpret and synthesize data displays 13 and summaries, such as polls, surveys, and 14 study outcomes; and 15 (C) critically evaluate claims based on data 16 both in consuming news media, advertising, and 17 social media and in making personal decisions, 18 such as those related to medical care or finan- 19 cial well-being. 20 (5) Access to high-quality data science and lit- 21 eracy education is vital for building the United 22 States STEM workforce and United States competi- 23 tiveness in the 21st century in the following ways: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1050 IH (A) STEM fields are a well-known driver 1 of the United States economy, job growth, and 2 competitiveness. A 2022 government report 3 from the National Science Foundation under- 4 scores this point and also notes growing STEM 5 competition from around the globe. 6 (B) Accessing talent and ideas from across 7 the socioeconomic spectrum and from diverse 8 geography is critical for building a vibrant 9 United States STEM workforce. 10 (C) Concerted efforts to cultivate such tal- 11 ent in the data-driven fields of statistics, data 12 science, mathematical modeling, computer 13 science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, 14 operations research, and analytics are critical to 15 United States competitiveness efforts. 16 (D) Data scientist, statistician, and oper- 17 ations researcher roles are among the fastest 18 growing positions in the United States. How- 19 ever, United States companies often struggle to 20 fill their data scientist, statistician, and oper- 21 ations researcher positions, a situation not ex- 22 pected to change this decade. 23 (E) The STEM workforce is projected to 24 grow at a faster pace than the non-STEM 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1050 IH workforce; however, some have expressed con- 1 cern that the domestic supply of STEM workers 2 will not meet future workforce needs. 3 (F) More and earlier access to quality edu- 4 cation that includes data-intense disciplines is 5 necessary to meet industry demands and com- 6 petitiveness pressures. 7 (G) Access to high-quality data literacy 8 education with ongoing support is critical as an 9 entry point to STEM fields for students from 10 populations traditionally underrepresented in 11 STEM fields, including Native Hawaiians, Alas- 12 ka Natives, and American Indians. 13 (H) Such accessibility should also include 14 community colleges, which are often more ac- 15 cessible to diverse groups. 16 (6) The expanded focus on data science and lit- 17 eracy would have several benefits, such as— 18 (A) helping the United States compete in 19 the emerging field of data science and growing 20 discipline of statistics; 21 (B) expanding the STEM workforce by ac- 22 cessing talent across the socioeconomic spec- 23 trum; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1050 IH (C) diversifying the STEM workforce by 1 bringing access and support to populations tra- 2 ditionally underrepresented in STEM fields, in- 3 cluding female students, students of color, and 4 students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 5 Studies have identified positive associations be- 6 tween diversity and performance for companies. 7 (7) Increased attention to data science and lit- 8 eracy supports the burgeoning emphasis on evidence- 9 based policymaking and data-driven decision, includ- 10 ing in government as exemplified by the Founda- 11 tions for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 12 (Public Law 115–435). 13 (8) Effective data science and statistics edu- 14 cation at the pre-kindergarten through postsec- 15 ondary levels would— 16 (A) ensure graduates have the skills and 17 knowledge necessary to compete in the work- 18 force of the 21st century, with its burgeoning 19 growth of and dependence on data, and acquire 20 the self-efficacy and motivation to embrace ca- 21 reers in data science, statistics, and other 22 STEM fields; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1050 IH (B) contribute to student learning and 1 problem-solving skills across multiple dis- 2 ciplines; and 3 (C) equip students with the knowledge 4 needed to be responsible and engaged citizens. 5 TITLE I—DATA LITERACY 6 EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM 7 SEC. 101. GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. 8 From the amounts appropriated under section 106, 9 the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, 10 to eligible entities to carry out projects— 11 (1) that increase access to data literacy edu- 12 cation for students at the pre-kindergarten through 13 postsecondary levels; 14 (2) that improve data reasoning skills in such 15 students; 16 (3) that will serve as models for national data 17 science and data literacy education; and 18 (4) in accordance with section 103. 19 SEC. 102. APPLICATIONS. 20 (a) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant 21 under this title, an eligible entity shall submit to the Sec- 22 retary an application at such time, in such manner, and 23 containing such information as the Secretary may require, 24 which shall include a description of how the entity plans— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 1050 IH (1) to carry out project activities under section 1 103 for the purposes of— 2 (A) increasing access to and support for 3 data literacy, data science, and statistics edu- 4 cation; and 5 (B) expanding access to and support for 6 rigorous classes in STEM fields, including by— 7 (i) using data and statistical literacy 8 to increase student interest in STEM 9 fields; and 10 (ii) reducing enrollment gaps, oppor- 11 tunity gaps, and differentiated success for 12 underrepresented students; 13 (2) for the duration of a grant made to the eli- 14 gible entity under this title, to continuously assess 15 and evaluate project activities funded by such grant; 16 and 17 (3) to continue project activities after the expi- 18 ration of the grant (including a statement of the 19 planned duration of such continuation). 20 (b) DURATION.—A grant made under this title shall 21 be for a term of not more than 5 years. 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 1050 IH SEC. 103. USE OF FUNDS. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that receives a 2 grant under this title shall use the grant funds for not 3 fewer than 2 of the following activities: 4 (1) Developing curricula in data literacy, data 5 science, and statistics. 6 (2) Expanding student access to learning sup- 7 port and high-quality learning materials in data 8 science and statistics, including online courses and 9 interactive learning platforms. 10 (3) Creating and implementing plans to— 11 (A) increase access to and support for rig- 12 orous classes in STEM fields; 13 (B) use data literacy and statistical think- 14 ing to increase student interest in STEM fields; 15 and 16 (C) reduce gaps in access to data science 17 and statistics courses for underrepresented stu- 18 dents. 19 (4) Providing— 20 (A) evidence-based professional develop- 21 ment for data science and statistics educators 22 and specialists; or 23 (B) evidence-based training for educators 24 and specialists transitioning from other subjects 25 to data science and statistics. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 1050 IH (5) With respect to data literacy education, col- 1 laborating with 1 or more of the following regional 2 entities: 3 (A) Industry. 4 (B) A nonprofit organization. 5 (C) An out-of-school education provider. 6 (D) A two- or four-year institution of high- 7 er education. 8 (6) Recruiting and hiring instructional per- 9 sonnel, including specialists in data science and sta- 10 tistics pedagogy and curricula. 11 (7) Preparing to continue project activities after 12 the end of the grant period. 13 (8) Disseminating information about effective 14 practices in data science and statistics education. 15 (b) ADDITIONAL ALLOWABLE USES OF GRANT 16 FUNDS FOR CERTAIN ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In addition 17 to the activities described in subsection (a)— 18 (1) in the case of an eligible entity that is not 19 an institution of higher education, such entity may 20 use the grant funds to— 21 (A) increase access to and support for data 22 literacy education for students at the pre-kin- 23 dergarten through middle school levels to pre- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 1050 IH pare such students for data literacy education 1 at the high school level; 2 (B) prepare and support teachers to teach 3 students to— 4 (i) understand data; and 5 (ii) use computational, analytical, and 6 statistical thinking to solve problems; and 7 (C) provide support and resources for 8 underrepresented students; 9 (2) in the case of an eligible entity that is an 10 institution of higher education (or an eligible consor- 11 tium that includes such an institution), such entity 12 may use the grant funds to provide financial support 13 and mentorship to underrepresented students; and 14 (3) in the case of an eligible entity that is a 15 two-year institution of higher education (or an eligi- 16 ble consortium that includes such an institution), 17 such entity may use the grant funds to: 18 (A) Assess relevant local employment op- 19 portunities for students in data science, ana- 20 lytics, and statistics. 21 (B) Establish industry partnerships. 22 (C) Maintain up-to-date curricula. 23 (D) Develop programs, partnerships, and 24 articulation agreements to facilitate the timely 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 1050 IH transition of students from data science, ana- 1 lytics, and statistics programs at the institution 2 to— 3 (i) bachelor’s degree programs in data 4 science, analytics, statistics, or related 5 fields; or 6 (ii) relevant local employment. 7 (c) LIMITATION.—Not more than 15 percent of the 8 funds of a grant made under this title in a fiscal year 9 may be used to purchase equipment to enable the activities 10 described in this section. 11 SEC. 104. REPORTING AND EVALUATION. 12 (a) RECIPIENT REPORTS.—Not less frequently than 13 twice each year for the duration of a grant made under 14 this title, an eligible entity that receives such a grant shall 15 submit to the Secretary a report on the use of grant funds, 16 including data on the students served through project ac- 17 tivities assisted with such funds, disaggregated by— 18 (1) race (for Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pa- 19 cific Islander students using the same race response 20 categories as the decennial census of the popu- 21 lation); 22 (2) ethnicity; 23 (3) gender; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1050.IH H1050 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 13 •HR 1050 IH (4) eligibility to receive a free [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]

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