{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2024/07/30/press-releases-id-a069f670-5dcb-4cb1-b6c6-0389a5c75a38/", "Bennet, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Innovation in Education", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "CO", "Michael F. Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", "bennet", "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act to help schools and colleges make advancements in teaching and learning. The legislation would create a national center that advances high-risk, high-reward education research projects, similar to the model employed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).\n\n\u201cAs a former school superintendent, I know our teachers are doing everything they can to overcome today\u2019s educational challenges \u2013 especially as COVID, social media, and nationwide mental health crisis have made their jobs more difficult than ever. They need new tools to overcome these obstacles and educate the next generation of Americans, and Congress can help by investing in cutting-edge education research,\u201d said Bennet. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will help schools, educators, and policy makers meet today\u2019s education challenges and make necessary, data-based adjustments in the future.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith the opportunities and challenges of technology like artificial intelligence, we have a responsibility to develop and disseminate cutting-edge practices to bridge gaps in students\u2019 academic readiness,\u201d said Cornyn. \u201cThis legislation invests in education, STEM instruction, and innovative learning methods to help equip our future workforce with the resources and skills necessary to maintain America\u2019s preeminence in the world.\u201d\n\nThe NEED Act would create a National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) dedicated to developing and disseminating cutting-edge practices and tools \u2013 such as voice recognition software to assess emerging readiness gaps and dyslexia, and digital learning platforms \u2013 to help students recover lost learning time from the pandemic.\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would:\n\nMake robust investments to establish, staff, and operate NCADE;\n\nRequire the Advanced Development Commissioner to appoint an advisory panel to guide the development and implementation of NCADE projects; and\n\nConduct and disseminate the results of periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of NCADE in achieving its mission of expanding education R&D and improving teaching and learning.\n\nThe NEED Act would also improve Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) and help states better track students\u2019 progress through K-12 and into the workforce while protecting the privacy of students\u2019 education records. This data will help policymakers understand and address opportunity and achievement gaps across the country.\n\n\u201cToo many students across Colorado, particularly those from under-served communities, are falling behind. We need to invest in cutting-edge research to identify innovative solutions to serve these students. We also need stronger state data infrastructure so that we can measure outcomes and invest in programs that work,\u201d said Katie Zaback, Vice President of Policy, Colorado Succeeds. \u201cThe NEED Act will address both of these needs. A new National Center for Advanced Development in Education can unlock new insights, and modernized statewide longitudinal data systems will strengthen the infrastructure that serves as the backbone for effective research and ongoing improvement.\u201d\n\n\u201cRelative to many other countries, the United States spends too little on educational research and development. If we want educational policymakers and leaders to make decisions based on evidence, we need much more research on the kinds of innovations that make a difference in all children\u2019s outcomes. Senator Bennet\u2019s New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act will provide the resources needed to accelerate innovation in teaching and learning and help close opportunity gaps,\u201d said William Penuel, Distinguished Professor, School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder and Director, National Center for Research in Policy and Practice.\n\n\u201cWe have come upon an opportune moment to combine learning sciences, new and advancing technologies, and big, bold ideas to build more equitable, effective, and engaging learning opportunities for students while supporting our K-12 teachers in their important work. I thank Senator Bennet for his leadership and sponsorship of the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act, which recognizes the importance of supporting innovative, cutting-edge projects for teaching and learning just as we value innovations in health, energy, and defense,\u201d said Sidney D\u2019Mello, Professor, Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation National AI institute for Student-AI Teaming.\n\n\u201cThe NEED Act recognizes that we must address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student outcomes, as well as restore America\u2019s standing as a world leader in innovative education,\u201d said Jean-Claude Brizard, President and CEO, Digital Promise. \u201cIt would create a DARPA-inspired National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) dedicated to developing cutting-edge practices and tools, as well as make a considerable investment in statewide longitudinal data systems. Through Digital Promise\u2019s networks like the League of Innovative Schools, we\u2019ve seen what can be achieved with forward-thinking initiatives in Colorado districts like Adams 12 Five Star Schools and Trinidad School District. The NEED Act will help propel the U.S. education system into the future and enable schools to make significant advances in teaching and learning.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom defense to transportation, nearly every sector other than education has its own version of an Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA),\u201d said Dan Correa, CEO, Federation of American Scientists. \u201cIn the age of rapid developments in emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, this is a huge missed opportunity for education. It\u2019s time to make an ARPA for education a reality, and the NEED Act will do that. This important legislation will also strengthen and modernize statewide longitudinal data systems, which provide the foundation for robust R&D.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe NEED Act would develop and enhance our education data infrastructure, providing a roadmap for decision-makers on how to give underserved students the high-quality education they need and deserve. This is especially urgent as the pandemic intensified the already pervasive racial and socio-economic disparities embedded in our nation\u2019s schools,\u201d said Denise Forte, President and CEO, The Education Trust. \u201cThe bill also invests in promising education research and development to put data in action to make our school systems more equitable. We urge Congress to pass this important piece of legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s model of schooling looks much the same today as it did a century ago, which makes it impossible to help each student reach their full potential,\u201d said Joel Rose, Co-Founder and CEO, New Classrooms. \u201cThe NEED Act will provide a much needed federal investment in education to develop high-reward transformative solutions and bold innovative learning models that produce dramatic breakthroughs for students and teachers.\u201d\n\nThis bill is supported by nearly 70 organizations, including: Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF), Alliance for Learning Innovation, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), American Educational Research Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association Services, Coalition for Community Schools, Colorado League of Charter Schools, Colorado Succeeds, Committee for Children, Digital Promise Global, ExcelinEd in Action, Federation of American Scientists, White House Office of Management and Budget, Lehigh University, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Center for Learning Disabilities, New Classrooms, The Education Trust, Transcend, University of Colorado \u2013 Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Anschutz Campuses, and University of Denver.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2024/07/30/press-releases-id-a069f670-5dcb-4cb1-b6c6-0389a5c75a38/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.23870512470603, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}