Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Releases Priorities, Including STEM

Back in October 2017, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released her outline of proposed priorities for the agency. The outline received over 1000 comments from concerned citizens. DeVos and her team reviewed the comments and made tweaks to her priority list where deemed appropriate. The priorities list is one of the only avenues the Education Secretary has to pursue an agenda without new legislation from Congress. Secretary DeVos’ finalized list of priorities was recently published in the Federal Register to go into effect April 2.

Secretary DeVos’ outline lists 11 priorities that focus on a variety of education aspects including school climate, literacy and skill development. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education also made the list, coming in at priority number six. The official priority, titled “Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering or Math Education, with a Particular Focus on Computer Science” is one of the lengthiest with 12 provisions listed underneath it.

Applicants applying for Department of Education federal grants are encouraged to submit an application that touches on one of Secretary DeVos’ priorities to increase their chances of receiving an award. The Department of Education awards more than $500 million in competitive-grant funds yearly, with these priorities serving as something of a roadmap to narrow the pool of applicants and allow Secretary DeVos to focus on a set of priorities to accomplish.

To view the Federal Register notice with the finalized list of priorities, click here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/03/02/2018-04291/secretarys-final-supplemental-priorities-and-definitions-for-discretionary-grant-programs