This bill establishes a competitive grant program, administered by the Secretary of Education, to significantly increase access to data literacy education for students across all levels, from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary. The program's core purpose is to improve students' data reasoning skills and foster the development of model programs for national data science and literacy education. These grants are intended to address the growing reliance on data and the need for a skilled STEM workforce in the United States. To receive a grant, eligible entities must submit applications detailing their plans to increase access to and support for data literacy, data science, and statistics education, as well as expanding rigorous STEM classes and reducing enrollment gaps for underrepresented students. Applications must also outline continuous project assessment and plans for continuing activities after the grant's expiration, which can last up to five years. Grant funds must be used for at least two specified activities, including developing curricula, expanding learning support, providing professional development for educators, and fostering regional collaboration. Additional allowable uses of funds vary by entity type; for instance, non-higher education entities can focus on early education and teacher support, while institutions of higher education can provide financial aid and mentorship. Two-year institutions specifically may assess local employment, establish industry partnerships, and develop programs for student transition to bachelor's degrees or relevant jobs. Grantees are required to submit reports at least twice annually, detailing fund usage and student data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. The Secretary of Education must submit a report to Congress within five years, analyzing recipient reports and offering recommendations for program expansion. Concurrently, the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences will conduct an evaluation of the grant program's effectiveness, assessing improvements in access to data science curricula, student skills, and the recruitment and retention of qualified educators. The bill defines data literacy as the ability to understand and communicate claims derived from data, and data science as the interdisciplinary use of statistics, mathematics, and computer science to analyze data. For the grant program, the bill authorizes an appropriation of $10 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with limits on administrative expenses and evaluation costs. Furthermore, the legislation amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 to mandate the collection and reporting of statistics on secondary school STEM teachers every five years. This data will include subjects taught, educational backgrounds, and demographics disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender, aiming to provide insights into the STEM teaching workforce.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Data Science and Literacy Act of 2026
USA119th CongressHR-10347| House
| Updated: 9/10/2026
This bill establishes a competitive grant program, administered by the Secretary of Education, to significantly increase access to data literacy education for students across all levels, from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary. The program's core purpose is to improve students' data reasoning skills and foster the development of model programs for national data science and literacy education. These grants are intended to address the growing reliance on data and the need for a skilled STEM workforce in the United States. To receive a grant, eligible entities must submit applications detailing their plans to increase access to and support for data literacy, data science, and statistics education, as well as expanding rigorous STEM classes and reducing enrollment gaps for underrepresented students. Applications must also outline continuous project assessment and plans for continuing activities after the grant's expiration, which can last up to five years. Grant funds must be used for at least two specified activities, including developing curricula, expanding learning support, providing professional development for educators, and fostering regional collaboration. Additional allowable uses of funds vary by entity type; for instance, non-higher education entities can focus on early education and teacher support, while institutions of higher education can provide financial aid and mentorship. Two-year institutions specifically may assess local employment, establish industry partnerships, and develop programs for student transition to bachelor's degrees or relevant jobs. Grantees are required to submit reports at least twice annually, detailing fund usage and student data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. The Secretary of Education must submit a report to Congress within five years, analyzing recipient reports and offering recommendations for program expansion. Concurrently, the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences will conduct an evaluation of the grant program's effectiveness, assessing improvements in access to data science curricula, student skills, and the recruitment and retention of qualified educators. The bill defines data literacy as the ability to understand and communicate claims derived from data, and data science as the interdisciplinary use of statistics, mathematics, and computer science to analyze data. For the grant program, the bill authorizes an appropriation of $10 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with limits on administrative expenses and evaluation costs. Furthermore, the legislation amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 to mandate the collection and reporting of statistics on secondary school STEM teachers every five years. This data will include subjects taught, educational backgrounds, and demographics disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender, aiming to provide insights into the STEM teaching workforce.