Increasing Access to High-Quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Vol. 82

Thursday,

No. 187

September 28, 2017

Part IV

The President

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Memorandum of September 25, 2017--Increasing Access to High-Quality
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

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Title 3--
The President

Memorandum of September 25, 2017

Increasing Access to High-Quality Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education

Memorandum for the Secretary of Education

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby directed as follows:

Section 1. Policy. A key priority of my Administration
is to better equip America's young people with the
relevant knowledge and skills that will enable them to
secure high-paying, stable jobs throughout their
careers. With the growing role of technology in driving
the American economy, many jobs increasingly require
skills in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM)--including, in particular, Computer
Science. These skills open the door to jobs,
strengthening the backbone of American ingenuity,
driving solutions to complex problems across
industries, and improving lives around the world. As
part of my Administration's commitment to supporting
American workers and increasing economic growth and
prosperity, it is critical that we educate and train
our future workforce to compete and excel in lucrative
and important STEM fields.

Today, too many of our Nation's K-12 and post-secondary
students lack access to high-quality STEM education,
and thus are at risk of being shut out from some of the
most attractive job options in the growing United
States economy. Courses in Computer Science are
especially scarce in too many schools and communities,
despite the job opportunities that these skills create.
Nearly 40 percent of high schools do not offer physics
and 60 percent of high schools do not offer computer
programming. Of the nearly 17,000 high schools that
were accredited to offer Advanced Placement exams in
2015, only 18 percent were accredited to teach Advanced
Placement Computer Science (AP-CS). Minorities and
students in rural communities often have even less
access to Computer Science education. Nationwide, only
34 percent of African American students and 30 percent
of rural high school students have access to a Computer
Science class. Furthermore, even where classes are
offered, there is a serious gender gap: less than a
quarter of the students who took the AP-CS A exam
nationally in 2016 were girls.

Shortages in high-quality STEM teachers at all levels,
particularly in Computer Science, often drive these
problems. The Department of Education, therefore,
should prioritize helping districts recruit and train
teachers capable of providing students with a rigorous
education in STEM fields, focusing in particular on
Computer Science. This will help equip students with
the skills needed to obtain certifications and advanced
degrees that ultimately lead to jobs in STEM fields.

Sec. 2. Expanding Access to Computer Science and STEM
Education. (a) Establish promotion of high-quality STEM
education, with a particular focus on Computer Science,
as a Department of Education priority. The Secretary of
Education (Secretary) shall, consistent with law,
establish the promotion of high-quality STEM education,
including Computer Science in particular, as one of the
priorities of the Department of Education. The
Secretary shall take this priority into account, to the
extent permitted by law, when awarding grant funds in
fiscal year 2018 and in future years.

(b) Funding level. The Secretary shall, to the
extent consistent with law, establish a goal of
devoting at least $200 million in grant funds per year
to the promotion of high-quality STEM education,
including Computer Science in particular. Within 30
days of the Congress passing final appropriations for
each fiscal year for which the priority established
under subsection (a) of this section is in effect, the
Secretary shall identify the grant programs to which
the STEM priority will apply and estimate the total
amount of such grant funds that will support high-
quality STEM education, including Computer Science. The
Secretary shall communicate plans for achieving this
goal to the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB Director) each fiscal year.
(c) Explore administrative actions to promote
Computer Science at the Department of Education. The
Secretary shall explore appropriate administrative
actions, to the extent consistent with law, to add or
increase focus on Computer Science in existing K-12 and
post-secondary programs. As part of this effort, the
Secretary shall identify and take action to provide
guidance documents and other technical assistance that
could support high-quality Computer Science education.
(d) Report. Not later than 90 days after the end of
each fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the OMB
Director a report on the activities carried out during
the preceding fiscal year under subsections (b) and (c)
of this section. In particular, the report shall
describe how the grant funds referenced in subsection
(b) were spent, any administrative actions that were
taken, guidance documents that were released, or
technical assistance that was provided pursuant to
subsection (c) of this section, and whether these
actions succeeded in promoting and expanding access to
high-quality STEM education, including Computer Science
in particular, both generally and with respect to
underserved populations.

Sec. 3. Definition. The term ``Computer Science'' means
the study of computers and algorithmic processes and
includes the study of computing principles and
theories, computer hardware, software design, coding,
analytics, and computer applications.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this
memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise
affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the OMB Director relating to budgetary,
administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent
with applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
agents, or any other person.
(d) The Secretary is hereby authorized and directed
to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.