On December 10, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act into law, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The new education law is significant because NSPE has long advocated key provisions of the Educating Tomorrow’s Engineers Act, which are incorporated into the Every Student Succeeds Act. In particular, the bill includes a funding provision allowing states to refine their science assessments by integrating engineering design skills and practices for the first time. In addition, more flexible funding grants will allow states and school districts to utilize federal funds for teacher professional development and high quality instruction in engineering. NSPE commends Congress for acknowledging the need for more engineering instruction at all levels of education. The bill was passed in the House by a vote of 359 to 64 and was also overwhelmingly approved in the Senate by an 85 to 12 margin.
