Department of Education Publishes Letter on Use of Federal Education Funds to Support STEM Education
On Tuesday, December 6, the U.S. Department of Education published a Dear Colleague Letter to state and district leaders outlining how federal education funds can be used to enhance STEM teaching and learning.
“The purpose of this letter is to help State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and their partners better understand how to use Federal funds to support innovative, equity-focused pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (Pre-K-12) STEM education strategies. This letter provides examples of how funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021; Titles I, II, III, and IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA); the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), can support efforts to improve Pre-K-12 instruction and student outcomes in STEM fields,” the letter states.
The letter is published in conjunction with the launch of a new initiative at the Department, the Raise the Bar: STEM Excellence for All Students initiative, which is designed to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education nationwide.
The Coalition was present at the Department’s YOU Belong in STEM National Coordinating Conference, which welcomed more than 200 STEM stakeholders from 30 states and territories in the Department’s Lyndon B. Johnson building in Washington, D.C.
