PRINTER'S NO. 1512
No. 1227 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY FLECK, McILHATTAN, BEAR, BELFANTI, BENNINGTON,
BIANCUCCI, BOBACK, BOYD, BROOKS, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CLYMER,
COSTA, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, ELLIS, EVERETT,
FAIRCHILD, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GODSHALL,
GOODMAN, GRELL, HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HUTCHINSON,
KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, KESSLER, KING, KORTZ, MACKERETH, MAHER,
MAJOR, MENSCH, MILLARD, MILNE, MOYER, MUNDY, MURT, MUSTIO,
NICKOL, O'NEILL, PEIFER, PETRARCA, PETRI, PHILLIPS, PICKETT,
PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, RAPP, REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SAYLOR,
SCAVELLO, McILVAINE SMITH, SONNEY, STAIRS, STERN,
R. STEVENSON, SURRA, J. TAYLOR, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, YUDICHAK,
REED, GINGRICH AND MAHONEY, MAY 4, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MAY 4, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Science Technology Partnership Program; and
2 providing for State grants.
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.
1 "Higher education institution." Any public or private two-
2 year or four-year or higher postsecondary institution in this
3 Commonwealth that has been accredited at the college level by an
4 accrediting agency recognized by the Federal Secretary of
5 Education.
6 "Nonpublic school." A nonpublic kindergarten, elementary
7 school or secondary school at which the compulsory attendance
8 requirements of the Commonwealth may be met and which meets the
9 applicable requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
10 1964 (Public Law 88-352, 78 Stat. 241).
11 "Partnership." A science technology partnership established
12 under section 4.
13 "Program." The Science Technology Partnership Program
14 established in section 3.
15 "Public school." Any school owned or operated by a public
16 school district established under the act of March 10, 1949
17 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
18 including any school established pursuant to Article XVII-A of
19 the Public School Code of 1949.
20 "Scientific or technical equipment." Technical or electronic
21 equipment used in teaching science courses, including laboratory
22 equipment. The equipment may include equipment that is not
23 routinely used in the teaching of science but that is commonly
24 used in the workplace and the fields of health, environment,
25 scientific research, biology, chemistry, geology or other earth
26 sciences, physics or any other scientific field.
27 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
28 Section 3. Science Technology Partnership Program.
29 (a) Establishment.--The Science Technology Partnership
30 Program is hereby established. The purpose of the program shall
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1 be to improve science education in public schools and school
2 districts and nonpublic schools that are members of science
3 technology partnerships by:
4 (1) Making scientific or technical equipment available
5 to students.
6 (2) Augmenting the science curriculum.
7 (3) Providing additional professional development
8 opportunities to educators in the sciences.
9 (b) Administration.--The department shall administer a grant
10 program that awards grants to qualified higher education
11 institutions that are members of the partnerships.
12 (c) Criteria for funding.--To implement the program, the
13 department shall request proposals from higher education
14 institutions that are members of partnerships and may award
15 grants to such institutions that meet all of the following
16 criteria:
17 (1) Have established a partnership as defined in section
18 4 and provided a copy of the partnership agreement to the
19 department.
20 (2) Demonstrate how the partnership will make science
21 technology equipment available to students enrolled in public
22 and nonpublic schools that are partnership members.
23 (3) Demonstrate how the partnership will augment the
24 science curriculum of public and nonpublic schools that are
25 partnership members.
26 (4) Demonstrate how the partnership will provide
27 additional professional development opportunities to
28 educators employed by public and nonpublic schools that are
29 partnership members.
30 (5) Have adopted a proposed budget describing the
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1 scientific and technical equipment that will be purchased or
2 leased with grant funds.
3 (d) Grant awards.--The department shall award grants in
4 amounts not to exceed $200,000 per subject area, including
5 chemistry, biology, physics, earth and space, for each qualified
6 applicant higher education institution. Grants shall be used for
7 the purchase or lease of scientific or technical equipment and
8 for the development of programs of instruction for members of a
9 partnership.
10 Section 4. Science technology partnerships.
11 (a) Establishment.--A higher education institution may form
12 a partnership with three or more public and nonpublic schools or
13 school districts.
14 (b) Partnership agreement.--The higher education institution
15 and the public schools, nonpublic schools or school districts
16 shall enter into a written agreement defining the
17 responsibilities of the partnership members. The agreement shall
18 include all of the following:
19 (1) The responsibilities of the higher education
20 institution in providing services to each partnership member.
21 (2) The responsibilities of the public schools,
22 nonpublic schools or school districts in coordinating with
23 the higher education institution.
24 (3) A description of the scientific or technical
25 equipment that shall be provided to each partnership member.
26 (4) A description of the program of instruction that
27 will be provided to each partnership member by the higher
28 education institution.
29 (5) The courses of science instruction and grade levels
30 that will be augmented by scientific or technical equipment
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1 through the partnership and how scientific or technical
2 equipment will be used to augment such courses of
3 instruction.
4 (6) The manner in which access to scientific or
5 technical equipment will be provided to students and
6 teachers.
7 (7) The professional development activities that will be
8 provided to science teachers employed by partnership members.
9 (c) Forward to department.--To be eligible to participate in
10 the program, a partnership must forward a certified copy of its
11 partnership agreement to the department.
12 Section 5. Powers and duties of department.
13 The department shall promulgate rules, regulations and
14 procedures necessary to implement the program.
15 Section 6. Annual report.
16 The secretary shall annually submit a report on the program
17 to the Governor, the chairman and minority chairman of the
18 Education Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority
19 chairman of the Education Committee of the House of
20 Representatives. The report shall include all of the following
21 information:
22 (1) A description of the types of the partnerships
23 created.
24 (2) The number of higher education institutions, public
25 schools, nonpublic schools and public school districts
26 participating in the program as members of the partnerships.
27 (3) The number of public and nonpublic school students
28 participating in the program.
29 (4) The dollar amount of grants awarded to each higher
30 education institution and a summary of the institution's
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1 expenditures on services related to the partnership.
2 (5) An assessment of the educational impact of the
3 program on the scientific knowledge of students participating
4 in the program.
5 Section 7. Effective date.
6 This act shall take effect immediately.
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