Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1839 To coordinate Federal research and development efforts focused on modern- izing mathematics in STEM education through mathematical and statis- tical modeling, including data-driven and computational thinking, prob- lem, project, and performance based learning and assessment, inter- disciplinary exploration, and career connections, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 26, 2021 Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mrs. BLACKBURN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Edu- cation, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To coordinate Federal research and development efforts fo- cused on modernizing mathematics in STEM education through mathematical and statistical modeling, including data-driven and computational thinking, problem, project, and performance based learning and assessment, interdisciplinary exploration, and career connections, 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1839 IS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mathematical and Sta- 2 tistical Modeling Education Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. MATHEMATICAL AND STATISTICAL MODELING EDU- 4 CATION. 5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 6 (1) The mathematics taught in schools, includ- 7 ing statistical problem solving and data science, is 8 not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving needs of 9 the public and private sector, resulting in a STEM 10 skills shortage and employers needing to expend re- 11 sources to train and upskill employees. 12 (2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statis- 13 tics, the United States will need 1,000,000 addi- 14 tional STEM professionals than it is on track to 15 produce in the coming decade. 16 (3) The field of data science, which is relevant 17 in almost every workplace, relies on the ability to 18 work in teams and use computational tools to do 19 mathematical and statistical problem solving. 20 (4) Many STEM occupations offer higher 21 wages, more opportunities for advancement, and a 22 higher degree of job security than non-STEM jobs. 23 (5) The STEM workforce relies on computa- 24 tional and data-driven discovery, decision-making, 25 and predictions, from models that often must quan- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1839 IS tify uncertainty, as in weather predictions, spread of 1 disease, or financial forecasting. 2 (6) Most fields, including analytics, science, eco- 3 nomics, publishing, marketing, actuarial science, op- 4 erations research, engineering, and medicine, require 5 data savvy, including the ability to select reliable 6 sources of data, identify and remove errors in data, 7 recognize and quantify uncertainty in data, visualize 8 and analyze data, and use data to develop under- 9 standing or make predictions. 10 (7) Rapidly emerging fields, such as artificial 11 intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing 12 and quantum information, all rely on mathematical 13 and statistical concepts, which are critical to prove 14 under what circumstances an algorithm or experi- 15 ment will work and when it will fail. 16 (8) Military academies have a long tradition in 17 teaching mathematical modeling and would benefit 18 from the ability to recruit students with this exper- 19 tise from their other school experiences. 20 (9) Mathematical modeling has been a strong 21 educational priority globally, especially in China, 22 where participation in United States mathematical 23 modeling challenges in high school and higher edu- 24 cation is orders of magnitude higher than in the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1839 IS United States, and Chinese teams are taking a ma- 1 jority of the prizes. 2 (10) Girls participate in mathematical modeling 3 challenges at all levels at similar levels as boys, while 4 in traditional mathematical competitions girls par- 5 ticipate less and drop out at every stage. Students 6 cite opportunity for teamwork, using mathematics 7 and statistics in meaningful contexts, ability to use 8 computation, and emphasis on communication as 9 reasons for continued participation in modeling chal- 10 lenges. 11 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 12 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 13 the Director of the National Science Foundation. 14 (2) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Fed- 15 eral laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in 16 section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Inno- 17 vation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 18 (3) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ 19 means the National Science Foundation. 20 (4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 21 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 22 meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 23 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1839 IS (5) MATHEMATICAL MODELING.—The term 1 ‘‘mathematical modeling’’ has the meaning given the 2 term in the 2019 Guidelines to Assessment and In- 3 struction in Mathematical Modeling Education 4 (GAIMME) report, 2nd edition. 5 (6) OPERATIONS RESEARCH.—The term ‘‘oper- 6 ations research’’ means the application of scientific 7 methods to the management and administration of 8 organized military, governmental, commercial, and 9 industrial processes to maximize operational effi- 10 ciency. 11 (7) STATISTICAL MODELING.—The term ‘‘sta- 12 tistical modeling’’ has the meaning given the term in 13 the 2021 Guidelines to Assessment and Instruction 14 in Statistical Education (GAISE II) report. 15 (8) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means the aca- 16 demic and professional disciplines of science, tech- 17 nology, engineering, and mathematics. 18 (c) PREPARING EDUCATORS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS 19 IN MATHEMATICAL AND STATISTICAL MODELING.—The 20 Director shall provide grants on a merit-reviewed, com- 21 petitive basis to institutions of higher education and non- 22 profit organizations (or a consortium thereof) for research 23 and development to advance innovative approaches to sup- 24 port and sustain high-quality mathematical modeling edu- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 1839 IS cation in schools operated by local education agencies, in- 1 cluding statistical problem solving, data science, oper- 2 ations research, and computational thinking. The Director 3 shall encourage applicants to form partnerships to address 4 critical transitions, such as middle school to high school, 5 high school to college, and school to internships and jobs. 6 (d) APPLICATION.—An entity seeking a grant under 7 subsection (c) shall submit an application at such time, 8 in such manner, and containing such information as the 9 Director may require. The application shall include the fol- 10 lowing: 11 (1) A description of the target population to be 12 served by the research activity for which such grant 13 is sought, including student subgroups described in 14 section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and 15 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 16 6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)), and students experiencing home- 17 lessness and children and youth in foster care. 18 (2) A description of the process for recruitment 19 and selection of students, educators, or local edu- 20 cational agencies to participate in such research ac- 21 tivity. 22 (3) A description of how such research activity 23 may inform efforts to promote the engagement and 24 achievement of students in prekindergarten through 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 1839 IS grade 12 in mathematical modeling and statistical 1 modeling using problem-based learning with 2 contextualized data and computational tools. 3 (4) In the case of a proposal consisting of a 4 partnership or partnerships with 1 or more local 5 educational agencies and 1 or more researchers, a 6 plan for establishing a sustained partnership that is 7 jointly developed and managed, draws from the ca- 8 pacities of each partner, and is mutually beneficial. 9 (e) PARTNERSHIPS.—In awarding grants under sub- 10 section (c), the Director shall encourage applications that 11 include— 12 (1) partnership with a nonprofit organization or 13 an institution of higher education that has extensive 14 experience and expertise in increasing the participa- 15 tion of students in prekindergarten through grade 16 12 in mathematical modeling and statistical mod- 17 eling; 18 (2) partnership with a local educational agency, 19 consortium of local educational agencies, or Tribal 20 educational agencies; 21 (3) an assurance from school leaders to making 22 reforms and activities proposed by the applicant a 23 priority; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 1839 IS (4) ways to address critical transitions, such as 1 middle school to high school, high school to college, 2 and school to internships and jobs; 3 (5) input from education researchers and cog- 4 nitive scientists, as well as practitioners in research 5 and industry, so that what is being taught is up-to- 6 date in terms of content and pedagogy; 7 (6) a communications strategy for early con- 8 versations with parents, school leaders, school 9 boards, community members, employers, and other 10 stakeholders; and 11 (7) resources for parents, school leaders, school 12 boards, community members, and other stakeholders 13 to build skills in modeling and analytics. 14 (f) USE OF FUNDS.—An entity that receives a grant 15 under this section shall use the grant funds for research 16 and development activities to advance innovative ap- 17 proaches to support and sustain high-quality mathe- 18 matical modeling education in public schools, including 19 statistical modeling, data science, operations research, and 20 computational thinking, which may include— 21 (1) engaging prekindergarten through grade 12 22 educators in professional learning opportunities to 23 enhance mathematical modeling and statistical prob- 24 lem solving knowledge, and developing training and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 1839 IS best practices to provide more interdisciplinary 1 learning opportunities; 2 (2) conducting research on curricula and teach- 3 ing practices that empower students to choose the 4 mathematical, statistical, computational, and techno- 5 logical tools that they will apply to a problem, as is 6 required in life and the workplace, rather than pre- 7 scribing a particular approach or method; 8 (3) providing students with opportunities to ex- 9 plore and analyze real data sets from contexts that 10 are meaningful to the students, which may include— 11 (A) missing or incorrect values; 12 (B) quantities of data that require choice 13 and use of appropriate technology; 14 (C) multiple data sets that require choices 15 about which data are relevant to the current 16 problem; and 17 (D) data of various types including quan- 18 tities, words, and images; 19 (4) taking a school or district-wide approach to 20 professional development in mathematical modeling 21 and statistical modeling; 22 (5) engaging rural local educational agencies; 23 (6) supporting research on effective mathe- 24 matical modeling and statistical modeling teaching 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 1839 IS practices, including problem- and project-based 1 learning, universal design for accessibility, and ru- 2 brics and mastery-based grading practices to assess 3 student performance; 4 (7) designing and developing pre-service and in- 5 service training resources to assist educators in 6 adopting transdisciplinary teaching practices within 7 mathematics and statistics courses; 8 (8) coordinating with local partners to adapt 9 mathematics and statistics teaching practices to le- 10 verage local natural, business, industry, and commu- 11 nity assets in order to support community-based 12 learning; 13 (9) providing hands-on training and research 14 opportunities for mathematics and statistics edu- 15 cators at Federal laboratories, institutions of higher 16 education, or in industry; 17 (10) developing mechanisms for partnerships 18 between educators and employers to help educators 19 and students make connections between their mathe- 20 matics and statistics projects and topics of relevance 21 in today’s world; 22 (11) designing and implementing professional 23 development courses and experiences, including men- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1839.IS S1839 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 1839 IS toring for educators, that combine face-to-face and 1 online experiences; 2 (12) addressing critical transitions, such as 3 middle school to high school, high school to college, 4 and school to internships and jobs; and 5 (13) any other activity the Director determines 6 will accomplish the goals of this section. 7 (g) EVALUATIONS.—All proposals for grants under 8 this section shall include an evaluation plan that includes 9 the use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact 10 and efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under 11 this section shall include results from these evaluative ac- 12 tivities in annual and final projects. 13 (h) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.— 14 (1) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Director 15 shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded under 16 this section. Such evaluation shall— 17 (A) use a common set of benchmarks and 18 tools to assess the results of research conducted 19 under such grants and identify best practices; 20 and 21 (B) to the extent practicable, integrate the 22 findings of research resulting from the activities 23 funded through such grants with the findings of 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jun 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 665 [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]