Survey of Programs Supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Contents
- Introduction
- Section I: Program Background Information
- Section II: Program Focus and Target Population
- Section III: Output Measures
- Section IV: Program Outcome Measures & Evaluations
- Section V: Program Funding Levels
- Submit your responses to GAO
Introduction
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked by the U.S. Congress to conduct a study
to catalog federal STEM education programs and determine the extent to which overlap or potential duplication exists.
As part of our study, we are seeking information from federal departments and agencies that will enable GAO to
assemble a compendium of federal education programs (pre-kindergarten through doctorate).
Your program was identified by your agency's officials as a STEM education program. To see the definition and program
inclusion criteria that we provided to agencies in order to populate the list of STEM education programs to survey, _____.
We estimate that this survey will take at least an hour to complete. You may need to consult with other staff
in your agency to answer some of the questions in the survey. The survey does not need to be completed in one sitting.
Your responses can be saved and accessed at a later date.
To learn more about completing the questionnaire, printing your responses, and whom to
contact if you have questions, _____.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Section I: Program Background Information
We have identified the following as a federal STEM education program within your agency. Please respond to these questions
as they relate to this program.
Program name: _____
Department: _____
Agency: _____
Office: _____
1. Is this the official name of the program?
1a. If no, what is the official program name?
2. Has this program operated under a different official program name within the past 5 years?
2a. If yes, what is the older, official program name?
3. Does this program have any other name(s) by which it is commonly referred?
3a. If yes, what is the name(s)?
4. Is this the correct department, agency, and office name that administers the program?
4a. If no, what is the department, agency and office name?
5. Please provide the mission statement for the office that administers this program,
and provide a link to the statement, if available. If an office mission statement is not available,
please provide a mission statement for the program's agency or department (Note: select the mission
statement which most closely aligns with the program's objectives).
(Maximum 1,000 characters)
6. Please give a brief description of the program and its objectives.
(Maximum 1,000 characters)
7. Please provide a citation to the statute authorizing this program (either a public law or U.S. code citation)
and a citation to the relevant program regulations.
(Note: The authorizing legislation may not necessarily
reference the program; rather, it may give broad authorization for an agency to perform related work.)
8. Did Congress specifically direct your agency to create this program or has this program been authorized under your agency's general statutory authority?
| Not checked |
Specific direction from Congress to create program |
Authorized under agencys general statutory authority |
Dont know |
Other (please specify below) |
Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 59 | 130 | 9 | 10 | 209 |
8a. If other, please explain:
9. What was the first fiscal year this program was funded?
10. Was this program funded in fiscal year 2010? (Note: A program with an appropriation or allocation in FY10 would be considered to have received funding in that year. Please consult with your agency's budget staff if you are unsure.)
11. Is this program funded for fiscal year 2011?
| Not checked |
Yes, it is funded. |
No, it is not funded. |
No, it was consolidated with other programs (please list programs below): |
Dont know |
Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 192 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 209 |
11a. If this program was consolidated with other programs, what are the other programs?
12. Is this program funded by a congressional earmark?
| Not checked |
Yes, funded in whole by a congressional earmark. |
Yes, funded in part by a congressional earmark. |
No, not funded by a congressional earmark. |
Dont know |
Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 200 | 6 | 209 |
13. Listed below are potential objectives for STEM programs. For each of these objectives, indicate if each was a primary objective, secondary objective, or not an objective of the _____.
Attract and prepare students to pursue classes or coursework in STEM areas through formal or informal education activities
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 94 | 74 | 37 | 209 |
Attract students to pursue degrees (2-year, 4-year, graduate, or doctoral degrees) in STEM fields through formal or informal education activities
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 122 | 52 | 32 | 209 |
Provide training opportunities for undergraduate or graduate students in STEM fields
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 125 | 41 | 40 | 209 |
Attract graduates to pursue careers in STEM fields
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 91 | 48 | 65 | 209 |
Improve teacher (pre-service or in-service) education in STEM areas
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 55 | 37 | 115 | 209 |
Improve or expand the capacity of K-12 schools or postsecondary institutions to promote or foster education in STEM fields
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 51 | 44 | 109 | 209 |
Conduct research to enhance the quality of STEM education provided to students
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 37 | 44 | 124 | 209 |
Other (please specify below):
| Not checked |
Primary Objective | Secondary Objective | Not an Objective | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 47 | 14 | 71 | 209 |
If "other", please explain:
14. Does the _____ have any primary objectives which are NOT related to furthering STEM education?
14a. If yes, what are the primary program objective(s) which are NOT related to STEM education?
15. Is this program one component of a larger government-wide or multi-agency effort (e.g., White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities)?
15a. If yes, what is the name of the larger federal effort or other federal entity also providing support for the program?
16. Has your agency coordinated with other federal agencies that provide similar STEM education services to similar program beneficiaries?
16a. If yes, please describe how your agency has coordinated with other federal agencies that provide similar STEM education services to similar program beneficiaries. Please include the agency and program name(s) in your response.
Section II: Program Focus and Target Population
Please respond to these questions with information pertaining to the _____'s STEM activities only.
17. Does this program focus on specific STEM fields?
17a. If yes, please check the field(s) of focus for this program.
Agricultural sciences
Biological sciences
Chemistry
Computer science
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences
Engineering
Mathematics
Physics
Social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology, anthropology, cognitive science, economics, behavioral sciences)
Technology
Other (please list below):
If "other", please explain:
18. Which of the following funding types does this program provide?
Contracts or cooperative agreements
Grants to K-12 schools or local educational authorities
Grants to non-academic institutions
Grants to postsecondary academic institutions
Grants to states
Grants to STEM professionals or STEM companies
Internships or traineeships
Loan repayments
Scholarships or fellowships
Other (please specify below):
If "other", please explain:
19. Which of the following descriptions, if any, best describe the types of STEM education services allowed by your program?
Classroom instruction
Curriculum development
Educational research aimed at improving the quality of STEM education
Institutional support for infrastructure (includes efforts to strengthen STEM education capabilities through expansion of facilities, classrooms, and other physical infrastructure)
Institutional support for management and administrative activities
Outreach and recognition to generate student interest in STEM field(s)
Short-term experiential learning activities (includes summer camps, field trips, guest speakers, and workshops)
Long-term experiential learning activities (semester or more in length)
Student scholarships or fellowships
Research opportunities, internships, mentorships, or career guidance
Teacher pre-service or recruitment activities
Teacher in-service, professional development, or retention activities
Other (please describe other services below):
If "other", please explain:
20. Which of the following target populations or groups primarily benefit from this program?
Elementary school students
Secondary school students
2-year undergraduate students
4-year undergraduate students
Master's degree students
Doctoral students
Elementary school teachers
Secondary school teachers
College faculty or instructional staff
General public
Other (please list below):
If "other", please explain:
21. Is this program primarily intended to serve minority, disadvantaged, or underrepresented groups in the STEM fields?
21a. If yes, which of the following minority, underrepresented, or disadvantaged groups is this program intended to serve?
Asian
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino
Native American or Alaskan Native
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Economically Disadvantaged
Persons with Disabilities
Women
Other (please list below):
If "other", please explain:
22. Is this program limited to serving students or teachers in a certain geographical region (or regions) of the U.S.?
22a. If yes, what are the geographical restriction(s)?
Section III: Output Measures
Note: Output measures are the ongoing monitoring and reporting of the direct products and services delivered by a program. They are typically collected by program or agency management.
23. Which of the following dates represent the program year for which output measures are collected for this program?
| Not checked |
October 1 - September 30 (federal fiscal year) |
January 1 - December 31 |
April 1 - March 31 |
July 1 - June 30 |
Dont know |
Other (please state below) |
Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 115 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 58 | 209 |
23a. If other, what are the dates of the program year?
24. For each of the following years, how many students were directly served by this program?
24a. Number of K-12 students served
1. Check box at left if program does not serve K-12 students, and then go to question 24b.
2008
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2009
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2010
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
24b. Number of postsecondary students served
1. Check box at left if program does not serve postsecondary students, and then go to question 24c.
2008
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2009
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2010
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
24c. Please describe how your agency determined the number of students directly served, if applicable.
25. For each of the following years, how many teachers were directly served by this program?
25a. Number of K-12 teachers served
1. Check box at left if program does not serve K-12 teachers, and then go to question 25b.
2008
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2009
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2010
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
25b. Number of postsecondary teachers served
1. Check box at left if program does not serve postsecondary teachers, and then go to question 25c.
2008
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2009
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2010
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
25c. Please describe how your agency determined the number of teachers directly served, if applicable.
26. For each of the following years, how many academic institutions were directly served by this program?
26a. Number of K-12 schools served
1. Check box at left if program does not serve K-12 schools, and then go to question 26b.
2008
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2009
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2010
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
26b. Number of postsecondary institutions served
1. Check box at left if program does not serve postsecondary institutions, and then go to question 26c.
2008
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2009
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
2010
Number served (if none, enter 0)
Don't know
1.
26c. Please describe how your agency determined the number of academic institutions directly served, if applicable.
27. Were any grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements awarded under this program for the 2010 program year?
27a. If yes, please provide the number and total dollar amount of the grants, contracts or cooperative agreements awarded for the 2010 program year. (Please include both new and continuing awards and exclude any sub-awards.)
Number of awards
Total dollar amount of awards
27b. If yes, who are the allowable award recipients?
States
Local governments
School districts
K-12 schools
Postsecondary institutions
2- or 4-year undergraduate students
Graduate students
Non-academic institutions
Other (please list below):
If "other", please list:
As part of GAO's Quality Assurance Framework, we are required to ensure that data used in our reports are sufficiently reliable. Therefore, for any computer-processed data maintained by your agency or a third party that is used to track output measures for your program, we would like to ask you some basic questions about whether or not your agency carries out certain practices or procedures to ensure or monitor the quality of those data. Please check with other staff, as necessary.
28. For databases or data systems maintained by program staff, which of the following policies and procedures are routinely followed?
1. Check box at left if no data systems are maintained by program staff, and then
Perform routine edit checks, such as testing for outliers or other anomalies
Conduct routine management reviews of system and data outputs to look for inconsistencies
Adhere to written procedures that outline how data should be collected, stored, and processed
Limit access to database or system to appropriate program staff only
Other (please specify below):
If "other", please specify:
29. For databases or data systems maintained by third parties, such as grantees or contractors, which of the following procedures do program staff routinely conduct?
1. Check box at left if no data systems are maintained by third parties, and then
Request and review documentation on how third party collects, stores, and processes data
Perform routine edit checks, such as testing for outliers or other inconsistencies
Independently verify output measures through site visits, tracing to source documents, or other method
Other (please specify below):
If "other", please specify:
30. Which of the following non-program staff, if any, have reviewed the program's databases or systems since 2008?
Inspector General or other internal auditor
Office of Management and Budget
External auditor or evaluator (e.g. private contractors, consultants, etc.)
Other (please specify below):
If "other", please specify:
31. Do you know of any potential problems or limitations with the reliability of the data used to answer any of the questions in this section?
31a. If yes, what are the potential problems or limitations?
Section IV: Program Outcome Measures & Evaluations
In this section, we will be asking
for information about outcome measures
and program evaluations.
Before answering these questions, please read the definitions
provided below and, if necessary, consult
with the staff in your agency responsible for monitoring research
on this program's performance.
Note: Outcome measurement is the ongoing monitoring and reporting of the results of the products and services
delivered by the program, or program accomplishments, particularly progress toward pre-established goals.
It is typically conducted by program or agency officials.
32. Has this program been evaluated by OMB's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) since the beginning of fiscal year 2005?
33. Were any outcome measures tracked or monitored by your agency for this program in 2010?
33a. If yes, what type of outcomes were they?
Student performance (e.g., attendance, test scores, pass rates, achieving selected performance levels, or grade point average)
Number or percent of students who pursue coursework in STEM fields
Student educational attainment (includes obtaining a GED, high school diploma, or postsecondary degree)
Number or percent of students who took a job in a STEM field
Teacher improvement and performance in STEM education instruction
Number or percent of qualified teachers teaching STEM education
Number or percent of institutions with expanded institutional capacity for STEM education (increase in classes, teachers, research opportunities for students, infrastructure, etc.)
Number or percent of research projects funded to enhance the quality of STEM education
Program participant satisfaction
Other (please specify below):
If "other", please specify:
Note: Program evaluations are individual systematic studies conducted periodically or on an ad hoc basis to assess how well a program is working. They are often conducted by experts external to the program, either inside or outside the agency, as well as by program managers. A program evaluation typically examines achievement of program objectives in the context of other aspects of program performance or in the context in which it occurs.
34. Has a program evaluation been completed in 2005 or later that evaluates the program's
performance with regard to STEM
education?
(Before answering this question, please consult with the staff in your agency responsible
for monitoring research on this
program's performance.)
If other, please describe:
35. What is the estimated date of completion of the performance evaluation?
After answering question 35,
36. If yes and completed, please provide a citation for the most recent evaluation.
Include in your citation the author, title, year, and other publication information (such as publisher,
journal, volume, or report number). Please include a link to the publication, if available, or email a
copy of the evaluation to STEMSurvey@gao.gov.
If an evaluation is already listed below, you do not need to cite the publication
or provide GAO with a copy of it.
Evaluation 1
Name: _____
Date: _____
Author: _____
Evaluation 2
Name: _____
Date: _____
Author: _____
37. Which of the following methods does your program use to disseminate program evaluation results?
1. Check box at left if your program has no formal mechanism to distribute evaluation results, and then
Agency website
Another agency's website
Interagency meetings
Other website
Publication in professional journal
Publication through news releases, agency publications, etc.
E-mail notifications
Press conference or agency briefing
Presentations at conference or forum
Webinars, Videos, Podcasts
Contract with relevant organizations or associations for dissemination
Other (please specify below):
If "other", please specify:
Note: Output measurement is the ongoing monitoring and reporting of the direct products and services delivered by a program. It is typically conducted by program or agency officials.
38. Does this program require grant or other funding recipients to perform any of the following activities to evaluate their program's performance?
1. Check box at left if not applicable, and then
Perform a program evaluation
Track select outcome measures
Track select output measures
Section V: Program Funding Levels
You may need to consult with staff in your agency's budget office to answer these questions.
For data reliability purposes, we will request supporting budget documentation from a randomly selected list of STEM programs.
Your program may be selected to provide this documentation.
For questions in this section, please use the following definition:
An obligation is a definite commitment that creates a legal liability of the government for
the payment of goods and services ordered or received, or a legal duty on the part of the United States that
could mature into a legal liability. Payment may be made immediately or in the future. An agency incurs an
obligation, for example, when it places an order, signs a contract, awards a grant, purchases a service, or takes
other actions that require the government to make payments to the public or from one government account to another.
39. Please enter the dollar amount of the total federal funds obligated to the _____ in each of the following fiscal years. Please include American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars, if applicable. If no federal funds were obligated in a fiscal year, please enter "0" in the appropriate box.
2008 (actual)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
N/A
2009 (actual)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
2010 (actual)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
2011 (planned)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
2012 (planned)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
40. Please enter the dollar amount of the total federal funds obligated with the STEM education component of the _____ only for each of the following fiscal years. If _____ consists of STEM education activities only (i.e., the figures for question 40 are the same as for question 39), please check the boxes with the same numbers as above. If no federal funds were obligated in a fiscal year, please enter "0" in the appropriate box.
1. Check box at left if funds obligated to the STEM education component only is unknown or unable to determine, and then
2008 (actual)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
N/A
Same as question 39
1.
2009 (actual)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
Same as question 39
1.
2010 (actual)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
Same as question 39
1.
2011 (planned)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
Same as question 39
1.
2012 (planned)
Total program obligations
Obligations (Non-ARRA)
Obligations (ARRA)
Same as question 39
1.
41. Does your program track expenditures for its federal administrative costs? For the purposes of this survey, federal administrative costs are all direct and indirect costs incurred by the federal government to administer this program excluding funds provided to grantees or program beneficiaries.
41a. If yes, what were the program's fiscal year 2010 expenditures for federal administrative costs?
After answering question 41a,
42. If no, what were the estimated federal administrative costs as a percent of total program costs for the fiscal year 2010?
| Not checked |
0 to 2 percent |
2 to 5 percent |
5 to 10 percent |
10 to 15 percent |
15 percent or greater |
Unable to estimate | Number of respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 40 | 50 | 54 | 2 | 6 | 29 | 209 |
43. Please describe how your agency determined actual or estimated federal administrative costs for the program
in questions 41 and 42.
44. If you have any additional comments or questions about this questionnaire or about programs that
support education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, please write them below.
45. Please provide information of the person who primarily completed this questionnaire. We may contact this individual with follow-up questions or for additional information.
Name
Department
Agency
Office/ Division
Title
Phone (xxx-xxx-xxx)
E-mail address
Submit your responses to GAO
46. This completes our survey. Are you ready to submit your final completed survey to GAO?
You may view and print your completed survey by clicking on the Summary link in the menu to the left.