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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 156
BY REPRESENTATIVES SMITH, BARROW, AND ST. GERMAIN
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the state Department of Education and the governing authority of each
public elementary and secondary school to implement certain measures based on the
Louisiana Women's Policy and Research Commission's recommendations pertaining
to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in its 2013 report
to the governor.
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Women's Policy and Research Commission, pursuant to
R.S. 46:2525, has submitted to the governor its annual report; and
WHEREAS, the commission's 2013 report to the governor addresses the
commission's duties: monitoring the status of Louisiana women for the purpose of evaluating
their economic, educational, and health concerns, needs, and hardships; identifying and
analyzing trends that impact the health and prosperity of Louisiana women; and advising the
governor on particular hardships, concerns, and needs that challenge Louisiana women and
their possible solutions; and
WHEREAS, one of the main areas of focus in the 2013 report is "Women, Education
and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)"; the commission focused its
education research this year on the importance of preparing more female students for college
and high-need, high-wage jobs; and
WHEREAS, this aspect of the commission's report focuses on efforts underway in
Louisiana to increase the number of girls succeeding in STEM studies and the number of
Louisiana women entering STEM career fields, in which the gender wage gap tends to be
narrower and the wages higher than in other fields; and
WHEREAS, the report finds that increasing girls' exposure and access to hands-on
activities and high-quality science labs and technology can help increase the number of
young women pursuing careers in STEM fields and further provides that education leaders ENROLLEDHCR NO. 156
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should work to identify new resources to help provide additional skills development
opportunities for teachers and students.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the state Department of Education and the governing authority of each
public elementary and secondary school to implement the following measures based on the
Louisiana Women's Policy and Research Commission's recommendations pertaining to
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in its 2013 report to the
governor:
(1) The legislature urges and requests the state Department of Education to seek
funding and public-private partnerships to increase access to technology at all public
schools.
(2) The legislature urges and requests the governing authority of each public
elementary and secondary school to make capital investments in building and upgrading
science labs for middle and high school students a budget priority, to aggressively seek
public-private partnerships to increase the availability of professional development
opportunities for teachers in the sciences, especially engineering, and to encourage middle
and high schools to establish STEM-related clubs for students and actively encourage female
students to join them.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the state superintendent of education, the president of the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education, the executive director of the Louisiana School Boards Association,
and the executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE