Law & Courts News in Brief

New Law Brings Computer Science Under STEM Tent

By Jaclyn Zubrzycki — October 20, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

President Barack Obama has signed into law the STEM Education Act of 2015, which expands the definition of STEM—an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—to include computer science programs.

The legislation that became the STEM Education Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., both members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

The new law does not add funding, but it does expand the kinds of STEM programs that can be run and funded by federal agencies to include computer science. It also makes people who are pursuing a master’s degree and those with a background in computer science eligible for Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships, which support science and math graduates and professionals who hope to teach.

The law also instructs the National Science Foundation to continue to finance out-of-school and informal education programs in the STEM subjects. That’s a boon for museums, nature centers, and other organizations that offer informal science programming.

The acronym tends to invite additions: Advocates and educators have added everything from art to religion to reading to create STEAM and STREAM schools. But this new addition has implications for which programs can receive federal funding and who is eligible to apply for STEM programs without adding more letters to the acronym.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the October 21, 2015 edition of Education Week as New Law Brings Computer Science Under STEM Tent

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2025 Survey Results: The Outlook for Recruitment and Retention
See exclusive findings from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of K-12 job seekers and district HR professionals on recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Law & Courts Supreme Court Won't Take Up Case on District's Gender Transition Policy
The U.S. Supreme Court declined an appeal from a parents' group contending that a district's policy on gender support plans excludes them.
4 min read
The Supreme Court is pictured, June 30, 2024, in Washington.
The Supreme Court is pictured, June 30, 2024, in Washington. The court on Monday declined to hear a case about a school district’s policy to support students undergoing gender transitions.
Susan Walsh/AP
Law & Courts High Court Won't Review School Admissions Policy That Sought to Boost Diversity
The U.S. Supreme Court refused a case about whether race was unconstitutionally considered in admissions to Boston's selective schools.
5 min read
The Supreme Court is pictured, Oct. 7, 2024, in Washington.
The Supreme Court is pictured, Oct. 7, 2024, in Washington. The court on Monday declined to take up a case about the Boston district’s facially race-neutral admissions policy for selective magnet high schools.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Case on Medical Care for Trans Youth Could Impact School Sports
The justices weigh a Tennessee law that bars certain medical treatments for transgender minors, with school issues bubbling around the case.
8 min read
Transgenders rights supporters rally outside of the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington.
Transgender rights supporters rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 4 as the court weighed a Tennessee law that restricts certain medical treatments for transgender minors.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Law & Courts How a Supreme Court Case on Vaping Stands to Impact Schools
The U.S. Supreme Court heard an important case about federal regulation of flavored e-cigarettes, which remain a concern for schools.
6 min read
A high school principal displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at a school in Massachusetts on April 10, 2018.
A high school principal in Massachusetts displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in restrooms or hallways on April 10, 2018.
Steven Senne/AP