3326.03 STEM school grants - contents of proposals.

3326.03 STEM school grants - contents of proposals.

(A) The STEM committee shall authorize the establishment of and award grants to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics schools through a request for proposals.

The STEM committee may approve up to five STEM schools to operate under this chapter in the school year that begins July 1, 2008. The limit prescribed in this paragraph does not affect the number of schools that may be approved for operation in subsequent school years.

No STEM school established under this chapter may open for instruction earlier than July 1, 2008.

The committee shall determine the criteria for the proposals, accept and evaluate the proposals, and choose which proposals to approve to become a STEM school and to receive grants. In approving proposals for STEM schools, the committee shall consider locating the schools in diverse geographic regions of the state so that all students have access to a STEM school.

(B) Proposals may be submitted only by a partnership of public and private entities consisting of at least all of the following:

(1) A city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district;

(2) Higher education entities;

(3) Business organizations.

(C) Each proposal shall include at least the following:

(1) Assurances that the STEM school will be under the oversight of a governing body and a description of the members of that governing body and how they will be selected;

(2) Assurances that the STEM school will operate in compliance with this chapter and the provisions of the proposal as accepted by the committee;

(3) Evidence that the school will offer a rigorous, diverse, integrated, and project-based curriculum to students in any of grades six through twelve, with the goal to prepare those students for college, the workforce, and citizenship, and that does all of the following:

(a) Emphasizes the role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in promoting innovation and economic progress;

(b) Incorporates scientific inquiry and technological design;

(c) Includes the arts and humanities;

(d) Emphasizes personalized learning and teamwork skills.

(4) Evidence that the school will attract school leaders who support the curriculum principles of division (C)(3) of this section;

(5) A description of how the school’s curriculum will be developed and approved in accordance with section 3326.09 of the Revised Code;

(6) Evidence that the school will utilize an established capacity to capture and share knowledge for best practices and innovative professional development;

(7) Evidence that the school will operate in collaboration with a partnership that includes institutions of higher education and businesses;

(8) Assurances that the school has received commitments of sustained and verifiable fiscal and in-kind support from regional education and business entities;

(9) A description of how the school’s assets will be distributed if the school closes for any reason.

Amended by 128th General Assembly File No. 9, HB 1, § 101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 2007 HB119 06-30-2007