The purpose of this research is to develop a plan that gives schools the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act. The law suggests that federal agencies give surplus equipment to educational entities. It would then become the school's choice to take advantage of the opportunity. The purpose of this proposal is to develop an ongoing partnership with schools around the United States. Its attempt is to inform schools about the law and organize a plan that will allow schools to take advantage of this opportunity. It would inform teachers about available resources and expose their students to educational opportunities

Heard, Pamala D.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

1996
f_
NASMASEE SUMMER FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
"THE INTERPRETATION AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
STEVENSON-WYDLER TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION ACT OF 1996"
Prepared By:
Academic Rank:
Pamala D. Heard
Assistant Professor
Institution:
Department:
NASA/MSFC:
Langston University
Department of Mathematics
Office: Education Program Office
MSFC Colleague: Mr. Jim Pruitt
XI
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19980206164 2020-06-18T00:27:53+00:00Z

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this research is to develop a plan that gives schools the opportunity to acquire
knowledge of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act. The law suggests that federal
agencies give surplus equipment to educational entities. It would then become the school's
choice to take advantage of the opportunity. The purpose of this proposal is to develop an
ongoing partnership with schools around the United States. Its attempt is to inform schools about
the law and organize a plan that will allow schools to take advantage of this opportunity. It
would inform teachers about available resources and expose their students to educational
opportunities.
RESEARCH APPROA CH
The initial approach to this research was to interpret Executive Order 12999, Stevenson-
Wydler Technology Innovation Act. The law had to be examined carefully in order to dissect it
components. The law is designed to transfer excess and surplus equipment to our nation's
classrooms, and encourage federal employees to volunteer their time, to assist teachers and
connect classrooms. Additional components to this law were the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of
1993, Public Law 103-66. This law refers to the Empowerment Zones and Enterprise
Communities that are designed to afford communities real opportunities for growth and
revitalization. The framework of the program consists of four key points -- economic
opportunity, sustainable community development, community-based partnerships and strategic
vision for change. In the executive order the Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities
topped the priority list to receive surplus equipment. The priority list formed with Empowerment
Zones and Enterprise Communities, Public and Private Elementary Schools, Public and Private
Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities and nonprofit organizations. The law was
structured to help ease red tape for schools that need surplus equipment.
Marshall Space Flight Center currently has a pilot plan in place to address the previous act.
The center recently distributed equipment to the Tri-State Education Initiative and to the State of
Alabama. My research required an expansion on the site's approach for the six states the flight
center services. The six states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri and
Tennessee. The plan currently in effect would give notice to schools. The schools would then
complete the necessary paperwork and return it to the Education Office. After completion of the
paperwork the office would schedule a briefing for the school. Schools would be invited for the
briefing and given an opportunity to view the equipment. Once school representatives select
equipment for their schools' systems it would then be tagged. They would return to their schools
and walt for notice to pick-up their equipment. If more than one tag was on the equipment, the
education office would decide what school would get the equipment by priority list, elementary,
secondary, colleges and universities. Once the schools are notified, then the schools would have
fourteen days to pick-up the equipment.
XI-1
An examinationof thecurrentsetupindicatesthatchangeneedsto bemadethatwouldbetter
accommodateparticipatingstates.Thenewexecutiveorderstatesthatnewspapers,community
announcements,andtheInternetcanbeusedfor promotionof theact's purpose.It is my belief
thatNASA shoulduseits establishedresourcesto distributetheinformationto eachschool,
startingwith threepointsof contactin eachstate.It shouldinclude:StateDepartmentof
Educationfor public schools,StateDepartmentof Educationfor privateschoolsandthe
Commissionof HigherEducation.I fLrmlybelievethatadditionalinformationneedsto be
distributedonawider scale. I wouldsuggestcontactbemadewith atleasttwo newspapersand
educationassociationsin eachstate. I furthersuggesthatNASA continueto usetheresources
alreadyestablished.Theseinclude: TeacherResourceCenterNetwork,NASA TV, NASA
Spacelink,Pamphlets,ProfessionalConferences,Flyers,MobileTeacherResourceCenterand
TeacherEnrichmentPrograms.
I surveyedthreehundredandsixty-twoteachers,administratorsaroundtheUnitedStates.The
levelsincludedK-12, teachersandadministers-localandstatelevels,CollegesandUniversity
facultymemberandsomeUniversityadministrators.Thesurveysconsistof tenquestionsthat
wasaskedof thepool in effort to acquireknowledgeaboutthis law. Onequestionwas,haveyou
heardabouttheStevenson-WydlerTechnologyInnovationAct?Their responseindicatedthat
ninety-sevenpercentof themhadnotandthreepercenthad. Ninety-ninepercentof thepeople
surveyedsaidtheydid notknow if theirorganizationhadtakenadvantageof thisopportunity.
Onehundredpercentof thepeopledid notknow howlongthis law hadbeenin effect. Another
questionasked,waswhatis themosteffectiveway for aneducatorto gatherinformationthatwill
benefithis/herinstitution.Forty-onepercentsaidtheInternet,eighteenpercentsaidusinga
mailinglist, seventeenpercentsaidnewspaper,fifteenpercentsaidjournal andninepercentsaid
usingothermethods.Theywerealsoaskedto list threewayseducationalsystemsnationwidecan
effectivelyreceiveinformation? ThetopthreeanswerswereInternet thirty-fourpercent,direct
mail twenty-twopercentandJournalsandOrganizationstwentypercent.Thesurveyorswere
askedif theyknewwhatanEmpowermentZoneand/orEnterpriseCommunityis? Eighty-seven
percentof thesurveyorsdid notknow.Ninety-fiveof themdid notknow if they lived in oneof
theseareas.It wasalsoaskedwhatwouldbethemostfeasibleway your institutionto view
excessgovernmentresearchequipment.Forty-sevenpercentsaidtheInternet,twenty-sixpercent
saidcatalogor mailouts,fifteenpercentsaidvideo tapes,ninepercentsaidsitevisitsandthree
percentsaidotherways. Thefinal questioniswhatmethodof deliverywouldbemostfeasiblefor
your institutionto receivesurplusequipmentandfifty-onepercentsaidby UPS,thirty-four
percentsaidby freight, tenpercentsaidmail andfive percentsaidpersonalpick-up.
RESULTS
Research, interviews, and site visits contributed heavily to my results. After analyzing the
information and the procedures of the pilot plan, I researched and interviewed people from
Marshall Space Flight Center and prospective customers. Many customers I spoke with did not
know where to obtain information related to the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act.
Considering my research, NASA must distribute the information to their customers in a more
XI-2
feasiblemanner.Thebiggest"hurdle" isNASA's inability tousethepowerof advertisement.
The center should use its current resources to promote the programs that are available to the
education community.
My proposal is to distribute information to our educational customers via newspapers,
educational associations and NASA programs already established. After the distribution of
information to prospective customers and areas, contact should be made on a state-by-state basis.
This should be done across the entire spectrum of education, from top to bottom. An example
would be the State Board of Education for public and private schools, and Commission of Higher
Education. Once the information is distributed the opportunity will then rest on the individual
school systems.
Another option for equal distribution is to let the school's view and tag surplus equipment on
the Internet. If NASA would start-up a database with the schools that are participating, then
they would have a file of schools who have not taken advantage of this opportunity and contact
those schools directly. This related information would strengthen the lines of communication and
make future contact even much easier.
Customers should also be briefed about the procedures and requirement for the program. This
should be done using video tape so the customers would know what they need and what to expect
when they surf the net and/or travel to the center, to tag equipment. A system should definitely
be devised that would allow the customer to pickup equipment and/or have it shipped on the day
it is tagged. This would be much more feasible and economical for the customers.
My personal opinion is that implementation of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation
Act should begin soon. Phase I, should begin August 1, 1996, Distribute information to
Newspapers, Education Associations, NASA TV, Internet, Pamphlets, Teacher Enrichment
Programs and National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program State Consortium Offices
should be contacted and information distributed related to the contact person and general
information about the law.
Phase II, September 1, 1996, contact all school districts in the Empowerment Zones and
Enterprise Communities. School representatives will complete necessary paperwork and return it
to NASA's Education Office. Once the information is received the Education Program Office will
mail a video tape for the district to view. After the tape is viewed it will be returned to the
Education Office. The districts will later receive a letter informing the school of scheduled dates
and times for the purpose of viewing and tagging equipment. The deadline for the paperwork
should be returned around October 10, 1996. If the school chooses to tag equipment it should
be available for delivery and/or pick-up the same day.
Phase 13I will begin October 1996, contact State Department of Education for public and
private schools. Their deadlines for response will be November 10, 1996. Phase 111 will follow
the same steps as Phase II. After the information is received school representatives will be given
an opportunity to view the equipment.
XI-3
PhaseIV will beginNovember1, 1996.The Commissionerof HigherEducationin eachstate
will be contacted. Phase IV will follow the same procedures as Phase II and HI. Once the
paperwork is received they will be able to view and tag equipment. The deadline for the
paperwork will be December 10, 1996.
Phase V, the f'mal stage of the implementation plan will allow all schools and nonprofit
organizations to visit and view equipment. Once the information is stored on a database, the
Education Office will have knowledge of the schools' districts that did not participate and do a
follow-up. With the usage of the database other educational opportunities for the schools will be
easily relayed, having direct contact in each district. After completion of all phases the school will
take advantage of the information, tag and visit as often as necessary. One must also remember
the second part of the law-federal employers volunteering their time to help connect our schools
to technology and equipment. Since Marshall has a volunteer program already in place, Project
Laser, then this could be used as an integral part of the law that is already functional. Marshal
Space Flight Center must institute tagging over the Internet, the pick-up on the same day as the
site visit, and allow more days to view and tag equipment on site. Besides the laws, emphasis
must be placed on school districts in all six states. This implementation program should include
all schools.
CONCLUSION
Information that is proclaimed by law to help the needs of schools and school systems needs to
find it way into these systems. With federal agencies having this information it must be distributed
so all schools can take advantage of the opportunity. If we want our children to be prepared for
the 21st century then all avenues must be open. These advances cannot be open for the few and
privileged, but for all. If we only help the few and privileged, these United States will not be a
functional, from a progressive standpoint, in the future. We have to distribute this information to
everyone and let them make the decision about whether or not to take advantage. Some of this
information will helps schools that have no funds to obtain some of the technology available. It's
in our hands how will we use it. Will we help only a few or will we help the masses. When we
look at the opportunities of the Internet and the database the possibilities to open "doors" for the
future seem endless.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to thank Mr. Jim Pruitt and the Education Office team for their support. I felt I
was truly accepted as a team member. I appreciate the time and effort the team members
contributed to my project. I appreciate the Spacelink Office for their assistance during my
research efforts.
XI-4


The Interpretation and Effective Implementation of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1996

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