PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 124, 1660 PRINTER'S NO. 2190
No. 130 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MOWERY, MUSTO, SALVATORE, THOMPSON, BOSCOLA,
COSTA, STOUT, SLOCUM, JUBELIRER, SCHWARTZ, TOMLINSON AND
PICCOLA, JANUARY 12, 1999
SENATOR TILGHMAN, APPROPRIATIONS, RE-REPORTED AS AMENDED,
OCTOBER 3, 2000
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Science Technology Partnership Program; AND <--
2 providing for State grants.; and making an appropriation. <--
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Science
7 Technology Partnership Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Department." The Department of Education of the
13 Commonwealth.
14 "Higher education institution." Any public or private two-
15 year or four-year or higher postsecondary institution in this
16 Commonwealth that has been accredited at the college level by an
17 accrediting agency recognized by the Federal Secretary of
1 Education.
2 "Partnership." A science technology partnership established
3 under section 4.
4 "Program." The Science Technology Partnership Program
5 established in section 3.
6 "PUBLIC SCHOOL." ANY SCHOOL OWNED OR OPERATED BY A PUBLIC <--
7 SCHOOL DISTRICT ESTABLISHED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 10, 1949
8 (P.L.30, NO.14), KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949,
9 INCLUDING ANY SCHOOL ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XVII-A OF
10 THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949.
11 "Scientific or technical equipment." Technical or electronic
12 equipment used in teaching science courses, including laboratory
13 equipment. The equipment may include equipment that is not
14 routinely used in the teaching of science but that is commonly
15 used in the workplace and the fields of health, environment,
16 scientific research, biology, chemistry, geology or other earth
17 sciences, physics or any other scientific field.
18 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
19 Section 3. Science Technology Partnership Program.
20 (a) Establishment.--The Science Technology Partnership
21 Program is hereby established. The purpose of the program shall
22 be to improve science education in public schools and school
23 districts that are members of science technology partnerships
24 by:
25 (1) Making scientific or technical equipment available
26 to students.
27 (2) Augmenting the science curriculum.
28 (3) Providing additional professional development
29 opportunities to educators in the sciences.
30 (b) Administration.--The department shall administer a grant
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1 program that awards grants to qualified higher education
2 institutions that are members of the science technology
3 partnerships.
4 (c) Criteria for funding.--To implement the program, the
5 department shall request proposals from higher education
6 institutions that are members of science technology partnerships
7 and may award grants to such institutions that meet all of the
8 following criteria:
9 (1) Have established a partnership as defined in section
10 4 and provided a copy of the partnership agreement to the
11 department.
12 (2) Demonstrate how the partnership will make science
13 technology equipment available to students enrolled in public
14 schools that are partnership members.
15 (3) Demonstrate how the partnership will augment the
16 science curriculum of public schools that are partnership
17 members.
18 (4) Demonstrate how the partnership will provide
19 additional professional development opportunities to
20 educators employed by public schools that are partnership
21 members.
22 (5) Have adopted a proposed budget describing the
23 scientific and technical equipment that will be purchased or
24 leased with grant funds.
25 (d) Grant awards.--The department shall award grants in
26 amounts not to exceed $400,000 for each qualified applicant
27 higher education institution. Such grants shall be used for the
28 purchase or lease of scientific or technical equipment and for
29 the development of programs of instruction for members of a
30 partnership.
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1 Section 4. Science technology partnerships.
2 (a) Establishment.--A higher education institution may form
3 a partnership with three or more public schools or school
4 districts.
5 (b) Partnership agreement.--The higher education institution
6 and the public schools or school districts shall enter into a
7 written agreement defining the responsibilities of the
8 partnership members. The agreement shall include all of the
9 following:
10 (1) The responsibilities of the higher education
11 institution in providing services to each partnership member.
12 (2) The responsibilities of the public schools or school
13 districts in coordinating with the higher education
14 institution.
15 (3) A description of the scientific or technical
16 equipment that shall be provided to each partnership member.
17 (4) A description of the program of instruction that
18 will be provided to each partnership member by the higher
19 education institution.
20 (5) The courses of science instruction and grade levels
21 that will be augmented by scientific or technical equipment
22 through the partnership and how scientific or technical
23 equipment will be used to augment such courses of
24 instruction.
25 (6) The manner in which access to scientific or
26 technical equipment will be provided to students and
27 teachers.
28 (7) The professional development activities that will be
29 provided to science teachers employed by partnership members.
30 (c) Forward to department.--To be eligible to participate in
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1 the program, a partnership must forward a certified copy of its
2 partnership agreement to the department.
3 Section 5. Powers and duties of department.
4 The department shall promulgate rules, regulations and
5 procedures necessary to implement the program.
6 Section 6. Annual report.
7 The secretary shall annually submit a report on the program
8 to the Governor, the chairman and minority chairman of the
9 Education Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority
10 chairman of the Education Committee of the House of
11 Representatives. The report shall include all of the following
12 information:
13 (1) A description of the types of the partnerships
14 created.
15 (2) The number of higher education institutions, public
16 schools and public school districts participating in the
17 program as members of the partnerships.
18 (3) The number of public school students participating
19 in the program.
20 (4) The dollar amount of grants awarded to each higher
21 education institution and a summary of the institution's
22 expenditures on services related to the partnership.
23 (5) An assessment of the impact of the program on the
24 scientific knowledge of students participating in the
25 program.
26 Section 7. Appropriation. <--
27 The sum of $4,000,000, as or much thereof as may be
28 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education
29 for the fiscal year July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001, to carry out
30 the provisions of this act.
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1 Section 8 7. Effective date. <--
2 This act shall take effect immediately.
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