House approves bill to boost science and math skills

Based on the recommendations of the 2005 National Academies' report, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved two bills that will raise the number of qualified math and science teachers in U.S. schools.

The bills H.R. 362 and H.R. 363 were both sponsored by Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the House Science & Technology Committee.

Furthermore, to keep the nation in the forefront of technological know-how, the senate voted an additional $16 billion for math and science programs over the next four years.

H.R. 362, the "10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds" Science and Math Scholarship Act authorizes science scholarships for educating mathematics and science teachers.

The Act will establish programs at universities to recruit students majoring in science, mathematics, and engineering into careers in teaching; to provide specialized education courses incorporating best practices for teaching science and math to such recruited students; and to provide a $10,000 per year scholarship for program participants.

H.R. 362 further authorizes the appropriation of about $1.5 billion for several new and existing programs within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE) that support the training and professional development of elementary and secondary schools teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

While H.R. 363 - the "Sowing the Seeds" projects to authorize programs for the support of an early career development of science and engineering researchers, and for support of graduate fellowships.

"Sowing the Seeds" authorizes funding for programs within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE) that provide research grants to scientists and engineers in the early phases of their careers. The bill also would establish the National Coordination Office for Research Infrastructure within the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

With a costing of $4 per American over the 2008-2012 period for both bills, the cost is estimated from a Congressional Budget Office report, by dividing the estimated cost of implementing the legislation by the U.S. population.