NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3888
SPONSOR: Bichotte Hermelyn TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
relation to creating a grant program for school districts, institutions
of higher education, nonprofit organizations, other public agencies and
businesses to prepare students for postsecondary STEM education and
careers; and making an appropriation therefor
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Creates grants to prepare students for postsecondary STEM education and
Careers
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Sect 1. Subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174 of
laws of 1668, constituting the New York state urban development corpo-
ration act, is amended by adding a new paragraph (0) to read as follows.
(o) Assistance to effectively prepare students for postsecondary educa-
tion and careers in science and computer science, technology, engineer-
ing and mathematics (STEM) grants, The chairman of the corporation, in
cooperation with the commissioner of the state education department,
shall encourage school districts and other qualified applicants to
establish new STEM programs and expand existing STEM programs, and shall
establish criteria of the development and submission of grant applica-
tions and proposals and for the selection of recipients of STEM grants,
as provided in this paragraph
(ii) Any school district or other qualified applicant that applies for
funding under this paragraph, shall work with relevant state and local
educational agencies to develop comprehensive plans for identifying,
developing, testing, and implementing evidence-based practices to
provide STEM learning opportunities for students and support the imple-
mentation of such plans by employing a wide range of strategies, includ-
ing the recruitment, preparation, and professional development of effec-
tive STEM educators. Qualified applicants include school districts,
institution of higher education, non-profit organizations, other public
agencies and businesses providing educational services to prepare
students for postsecondary STEM education and careers.
(iii) STEM grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis. First priori-
ty shall he given to high need school districts and high need schools.
Grants shall be awarded based on factors including, but not limited to
the following:
(A) Measures of school district need;
(B) Measures of the need of students to be served by each applying
school districts;
(C) The school district's proposal to target the highest need schools
and students
(D) The extent to which the district's proposals would prioritize funds
to maximize the total number of eligible children in the district served
in STEM programs; and
(E) The quality of the proposal.
(iv) Recipients of STEM grants shall use funds to:
(A) Promote and develop in-school and out-of-school curricular tools and
professional development for STEM educators at the elementary school and
secondary school levels'
(B) Provide instruction and mentoring services to new teachers in STEM
subjects;
(C) Promote and develop rigorous undergraduate pre-service teacher
programs at institutions of higher education that emphasize STEM
contact;
(D) Support the participation of elementary school and secondary school
students in competitions, out-of-school activities, and field experi-
ences related to STEM subjects;
(E) Develop STEM related education and workforce training programs in
secondary schools and community colleges to reflect the needs of the
local community; and
(1) Create after school programs to promote STEM education and careers;
(v) Grants shall be made for a recurrent period of five years, commenc-
ing with the two thousand seventeen-two thousand eighteen school year.
At the end of the five year period, the chairman of the corporation
shall evaluate the effectiveness of the STEM grants based on criteria
developed in cooperation with the commissioner of the state education
department.
(vi) This grant program will not mandate a testing or evaluative model
that is separate from current state testing and evaluative requirements
for primary and secondary students.
JUSTIFICATION:
STEM is a growing field in NYS and throughout the country. It would be
of benefit to both NYS and students to begin to train and position
students enter into these fields.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A06293, referred to economic development
2019-20: A1562; referred to economic development
2017-18: A932; referred to economic development
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to
subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chanter 174 of the laws of
1968, made by section one of this act, shall not affect the expiration
of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3888
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 8, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Economic Development
AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
relation to creating a grant program for school districts, insti-
tutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, other public
agencies and businesses to prepare students for postsecondary STEM
education and careers; and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174
2 of the laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban development
3 corporation act, is amended by adding a new paragraph (p) to read as
4 follows:
5 (p) Assistance to effectively prepare students for postsecondary
6 education and careers in science and computer science, technology, engi-
7 neering and mathematics (STEM) by providing STEM grants.
8 (i) The chairman of the corporation, in cooperation with the commis-
9 sioner of the state education department, shall encourage school
10 districts and other qualified applicants to establish new STEM programs
11 and expand existing STEM programs, and shall establish criteria for the
12 development and submission of grant applications and proposals and for
13 the selection of recipients of STEM grants, as provided in this para-
14 graph.
15 (ii) Any school district or other qualified applicant that applies for
16 funding under this paragraph, shall work with relevant state and local
17 educational agencies to develop comprehensive plans for identifying,
18 developing, testing, and implementing evidence-based practices to
19 provide STEM learning opportunities for students and support the imple-
20 mentation of such plans by employing a wide range of strategies, includ-
21 ing the recruitment, preparation, and professional development of effec-
22 tive STEM educators. Qualified applicants include school districts,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05452-01-3
A. 3888 2
1 institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, other public
2 agencies and businesses providing educational services to prepare
3 students for postsecondary STEM education and careers.
4 (iii) STEM grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis. First
5 priority shall be given to high need school districts and high need
6 schools. Grants shall be awarded based on factors including, but not
7 limited to, the following:
8 (A) measures of school district need;
9 (B) measures of the need of students to be served by each applying
10 school districts;
11 (C) the school district's proposal to target the highest need schools
12 and students;
13 (D) the extent to which the district's proposal would prioritize funds
14 to maximize the total number of eligible children in the district served
15 in STEM programs; and
16 (E) the quality of the proposal.
17 (iv) Recipients of STEM grants shall use the funds to:
18 (A) promote and develop in-school and out-of-school curricular tools
19 and professional development for STEM educators at the elementary school
20 and secondary school levels;
21 (B) provide instruction and mentoring services to new teachers in STEM
22 subjects;
23 (C) promote and develop rigorous undergraduate pre-service teacher
24 programs at institutions of higher education that emphasize STEM
25 contact;
26 (D) support the participation of elementary school and secondary
27 school students in competitions, out-of-school activities, and field
28 experiences related to STEM subjects;
29 (E) develop STEM related education and workforce training programs in
30 secondary schools and community colleges to reflect the needs of the
31 local community; and
32 (F) create after school programs to promote STEM education and
33 careers.
34 (v) Grants shall be made for a recurrent period of five years,
35 commencing with the two thousand twenty-three--thousand twenty-four
36 school year. At the end of the five year period, the chairman of the
37 corporation shall evaluate the effectiveness of the STEM grants based on
38 criteria developed in cooperation with the commissioner of the state
39 education department.
40 (vi) This grant program will not mandate a testing or evaluative model
41 that is separate from current state testing and evaluative requirements
42 for primary and secondary students.
43 § 2. The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000), or so much there-
44 of as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the urban development
45 corporation out of the moneys in the state treasury in the general fund
46 to the credit of the empire state economic development fund established
47 pursuant to section 16-m of the New York state urban development corpo-
48 ration act not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available,
49 for the purpose of STEM grants and carrying out the provisions of this
50 act. Funds for STEM grants shall be distributed to each qualifying
51 school district in installments upon successful implementation of each
52 phase of the school district's approved proposal. No school district
53 shall receive more than forty percent of the total STEM grant allo-
54 cation. Within a school district, each individual STEM site shall be
55 limited to a maximum grant of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
56 Any portion of funding that is not awarded in a particular school year
A. 3888 3
1 shall remain available for awards in subsequent school years; provided
2 that in the event that the chairman of the urban development corporation
3 elects to discontinue the program after the initial five year period
4 described in section one of this act, and remaining funding shall be
5 returned to the state treasury to the credit of the general fund.
6 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend-
7 ments to subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174 of
8 the laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban development
9 corporation act made by section one of this act, shall not affect the
10 expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
