With a new federal spending bill signed into law on March 23, 2018, STEM advocates are celebrating increased funding for programs and initiatives in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Several provisions in ESSA allow—and even encourage—the use of federal funds to support STEM education.
The statutory language itself frequently calls out STEM education, and guidance released by USED in April 2017, Resources for STEM Education, which was intended to “help SEAs, LEAs, and their partners better understand how to use Federal funds to support innovative, equity-focused pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (PreK-12) STEM education strategies,” points to provisions that could be used to support STEM education without explicit identifying STEM. See Achieve’s brief, Leveraging ESSA to Promote Science and STEM Education in States to learn more.
Here are the new funding levels for STEM-related provisions in ESSA compared to the previous funding levels passed by Congress in May 2017.
STEM and ESSA funding
|
ESSA Provision |
Purpose |
How STEM Fits In |
Funding in New Federal Budget |
|
Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by State and Local Educational Agencies |
To provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps |
ESSA Provision No explicit reference to STEM
USED Guidance Schools operating a Title I schoolwide program may use these funds to:
|
Funding level: $15,800,000,000
Previous funding: $15,500,000,000
|
|
Title I, Part B: State Assessment Grants |
To pay for the development of state assessments, standards, and to carry out assessment activities |
ESSA Provision States can use these funds to update science assessments to include engineering design and practices
USED Guidance No mention of this provision
|
Funding level: $378,000,000 Previous funding: $369,100,000 |
|
Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction |
To (1) increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic standards; (2) improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; (3) increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and (4) provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders |
ESSA Provision States can award subgrants to districts to provide incentive pay to attract teachers in “high-need academic subject areas,” provide increased teacher supports in various forms (e.g., hiring STEM coaches, partnering with non-profits), and recruit qualified individuals from other fields to become teachers
USED Guidance Opportunity to support and recruit educators in STEM disciplines
|
Funding level: $2,100,000,000
Previous funding: $2,100,000,000
|
|
Title II, Part B: National Activities |
To research and support comprehensive performance-based compensation systems or human capital management systems for teachers or school leaders who raise student academic achievement and close the achievement gap between high- and low-performing students and to evaluate the effectiveness, fairness, quality, consistency, and reliability of those systems |
ESSA Provision State grant to create and elevate a STEM Master Teacher Corps
USED Guidance Can fund teacher recruitment in STEM fields through the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program
|
|
|
Title III, Part A: English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act |
To help ensure that English learners attain English proficiency and can meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet; to support development and capacity to provide effective language instruction educational programs, and promote family and community participation in those programs |
ESSA Provision No explicit reference to STEM
USED Guidance
|
Funding level: $737,400,000
Previous funding: $737,400,000
|
|
Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants |
To increase capacity of states and districts to 1) provide students with access to a well-rounded education, 2) improve school conditions for student learning, and 3) improve the use of technology to increase digital literacy of all students |
ESSA Provision These funds may focus on increasing access and student engagement in STEM for underrepresented students. Allowable activities that promote STEM education include:
USED Guidance Reiterates allowable activities listed in the law, and adds that these funds can be used to:
|
Funding level: $1,100,000,000
Previous funding: $400,000 |
|
Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Community Learning Centers |
To provide opportunities for communities to establish or expand activities in community learning centers that provide academic enrichment, particularly by offering students who attend low-performing schools a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities; to offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education |
ESSA Provision These funds can support the creation of programs promoting STEM skills and “nontraditional STEM teaching methods”
USED Guidance Further clarifies that these nontraditional methods include “hands-on, active STEM-rich experiences”
|
Funding level: $1,211,673,000
Previous funding: $1,191,673,000
|