(1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grants to high schools to implement specialized courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers as provided by a national multidisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program. Grant funds must be allocated on a one-time basis and may be used to purchase course curriculum and equipment, initial course student materials, and support professional development for course teachers.
(2) The superintendent of public instruction must select grant recipients based on the criteria in this subsection (2). This is a competitive grant process. Successful high school applicants must:
(a) Demonstrate engaged and committed high school and district leadership and faculty in support of expanding specialized STEM courses;
(b) Demonstrate that faculty are appropriately trained to offer specialized STEM courses or a plan for faculty to obtain the appropriate training;
(c) Demonstrate capacity to offer the specialized STEM courses and maximize the use of grant resources by addressing: Availability of appropriate physical space, meeting program technology requirements, providing projected enrollment at the high school and from area high schools as appropriate, planned hours and days each week the program is to be offered, and other specific program requirements set forth by the superintendent of public instruction;
(d) Provide the plan for course implementation that includes a beginning date for first classes as well as plans for recruiting and retaining students in the course;
(e) Provide a plan to promote opportunities for students to acquire college credit;
(f) Demonstrate a history of successful partnerships within the community and partner support for implementing specialized STEM courses. Partner support may include one or more of the following: Supplying materials, instruction support, internships, mentorships, apprenticeships, and other program components;
(g) Demonstrate connections to community and technical college programs as well as links to four-year higher education institution STEM programs; and
(h) Demonstrate capacity to continue the course in years succeeding the initial grant year.
(3)(a) The education data center in the office of financial management must, with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, collect student course enrollment and course completion information.
(b) The education data center must: (i) Study mathematics and science course-taking patterns of students completing specialized STEM courses; and (ii) follow the students to employment or further training and education in the two years following high school. This study must be designed to inform policymakers about the extent to which specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes taken by students reduce mathematics remediation of students entering the workplace, apprenticeships, community and technical colleges, and four-year institutions of higher education. Study findings must be reported annually beginning January 2014 and each January thereafter through January 2018 to the governor, appropriate state agencies, and the appropriate education and fiscal committees of the legislature.
