Rep. Haley Stevens Champions Bipartisan Data Science and Literacy Act to Prepare Students for Data-Driven Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens alongside Reps. Jim Baird (R-IN), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Bipartisan Data Science and Literacy Act, to expand access to data science education and make sure Michigan students have the skills needed to compete in an increasingly data-driven economy.

Data science draws on statistics, computer science, and mathematics to analyze and derive insights from data. Yet many students graduate from high school without these foundational skills, even as nearly one in four jobs requires data science skills.

“Data is powering the technologies and jobs that will define America’s economic future, and our students deserve the skills to lead that future,” said Rep. Haley Stevens. “Whether a student goes on to work on the factory floor, in a research lab, at a small business, or developing the next breakthrough technology, the ability to understand and use data will be increasingly important. This legislation is about making sure Michigan students are ready.”

“Data science education can be the catalyst that launches American scientific leadership into the stratosphere. Introducing children to STEM early gives them a foundation to continually build upon, preparing them to tackle increasingly advanced concepts as they reach higher education and enter the workforce. This is how we compound our scientific knowledge and foster the next generation of American innovation. Start early, build upon that knowledge, and grow our nation’s understanding of STEM,” said Rep. Jim Baird.

“Data is one of the most powerful tools shaping our society today. It helps businesses streamline supply chain operations, public health officials track and prevent disease, and Americans navigate nearly every aspect of modern life. Yet too many students lack access to the education they need to understand and use data effectively. Our bill would provide educators with the resources necessary to expand access to a quality data science education and prepare students for 21st century jobs,” said Rep. Don Beyer.

“Every generation has a responsibility to prepare the next for the world they will inherit. As data becomes foundational across nearly every field, our classrooms must keep pace. This legislation builds on the work we have led here in PA-1 to strengthen career and technical education, expand pathways into high-demand fields, and better connect learning with opportunity. The bipartisan Data Science and Literacy Act will carry that mission forward—equipping more students with the skills to succeed, strengthening our workforce, and ensuring America continues to lead,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

The Data Science and Literacy Act establishes a grant program at the U.S. Department of Education to expand access to data science education nationwide. The program would support data science instruction from pre-K through community college, strengthen students’ data literacy, and provide professional development opportunities for educators. The legislation also improves federal data collection and establishes evaluation and reporting requirements to guide future investments.

Specifically, the Data Science and Literacy Act authorizes educational grants for the following purposes:

• Curriculum Development: Developing, implementing, and expanding data science curricula and instructional materials.
• Student Support: Improving student outcomes in data science education, including targeted support for students historically underrepresented in the field.
• Professional Development: Providing evidence-based training and recruitment support for educators to effectively teach data science and related subjects.
• Partnerships: Supporting collaboration with community colleges, institutions of higher education, and other relevant organizations to strengthen data science education pathways.

Text of the bill can be found here.

The legislation is backed by Data Science 4 Everyone (DS4E), Alliance for Data Science & AI (ADSA), Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI), American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC), American Statistical Association (AmStat), Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), Digital Promise, INFORMS, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).

“The average school experience is becoming disconnected from the fast-changing world our students are graduating into,” said Zarek Drozda, Executive Director of Data Science 4 Everyone (DS4E).  “The question ‘why am I learning this?’ needs to have a better answer. Engaging in data science activities allows students to connect their academic subjects to the real-world, and learn a toolkit for navigating (and questioning) AI at the same time.”

“ADSA works with more than 100 institutions of higher education, from R1 universities, community colleges, HBCUs, and Hispanic-serving institutions. One thing we hear consistently is that they want to be better partners to the K-12 schools in their regions,” said Dr. Micaela Parker, Founder and Executive Director of Alliance for Data Science and AI (ADSA). “The Data Science and Literacy Act creates that opportunity by putting flexible resources into district, community college, and university partnerships to update curricula for the modern age. This bill reflects how students actually use data: across their whole education, not in a single elective. ADSA is proud to support it.”

“Too often, promising education investments go unmeasured, leaving us guessing about what actually works. The Data Science and Literacy Act gets this right by building evaluation into the bill from the start by directing the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to rigorously assess grant effectiveness and requiring grantees to continuously monitor their own progress. That commitment to evidence, not just access, is exactly what we want to see in federal education investments,” Sara Schapiro, Executive Director of Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI). “At the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI), we believe every student deserves the tools to make sense of data and put it to work solving real problems. We're proud to endorse this bipartisan legislation and thank Representatives Stevens, Beyer, Kim, and Baird for their leadership in building a stronger STEM pipeline for the next generation."

“H.G. Wells once said ‘Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.’ (c. 1903) That day is today. This bill is the right step forward,” said Eddie Tchertchian, President of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC).

“The presence of AI in our everyday lives and work has made statistical thinking more critical than ever, so I applaud Representative Stevens and her cosponsors for reintroducing this bill, " said Jeri Mulrow, President of the American Statistical Association (AmStat). “Statistical thinking, a core component of data literacy, is essential for today's students to effectively use AI,  critically assess its outputs, and succeed in today's job market.”

“In continuing AMTE efforts to bring diverse mathematics teacher education communities together, our organization continues to support educators, coaches, consultants, specialists, and university and community college faculty to share and disseminate research, teaching, and community partnerships in different educational contexts,” said Farshid Safi, President of Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE). “AMTE, intentionally and toward a more comprehensive and inclusive lens, adopts an expansive view of the term mathematics education to include intersections with fields such as data science and statistics education, mathematical modeling, STEM education while partnering with those engaged in early childhood, PK-12, and post-secondary contexts.”

“Data shapes the technologies students use, the decisions they encounter, and the world they will help create. The 2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards identify Data & Analysis as a core concept in foundational computer science education, calling on students to use data to solve problems, make discoveries, and express ideas while critically examining its quality, representation, privacy, and impact,” said Bryan Twarek, Head of Research and Innovation of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). “The Data Science and Literacy Act would invest in the curricula, professional development, and partnerships teachers need to prepare their students to become critical consumers, responsible creators, and informed participants in a world powered by computing.”

“Data literacy is a foundational tool for real-world agency. Preparing students for a changing economy requires updating what and how we teach, moving away from narrow metrics of success to build practical skills across disciplines,” said Jean-Claude Brizard, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Promise. “The Data Science and Literacy Act delivers flexible resources that allow school systems and postsecondary partners to strengthen teacher capacity and create powerful learning experiences for every student. Digital Promise strongly supports this legislation as a crucial investment in long-term economic mobility.”

“Ensuring that data literacy is a foundational aspect of education is a cornerstone of the United States’ long-term economic and national security. Data is everywhere and the ideas and demands to create more of it, and the evermore complex ways to deploy it, are growing more significant by the day,” said Jeff Cohen, Chief External Affairs Officer at INFORMS. “This bill is a key part of addressing the substantial shortfall of STEM-prepared students for the workforce of tomorrow. Operations research, analytics, and the science and technology of decision-making is predicated on the sound and ethical use of data. INFORMS strongly supports the bipartisan Data Science and Literacy Act of 2026 and looks forward to working to ensure its passage and effective implementation.”

“Our students are graduating into a world where the ability to understand, interpret, and use data is no longer optional; it is essential. Science and STEM education provide powerful opportunities for students to develop these skills as they use data to ask questions and make sense of the world around them,” said Brianna Reilly Oliveira, Director of Professional Learning for the National Science Teaching Association. “NSTA strongly supports the Data Science and Literacy Act and its investment in educators and students. By equipping educators with the confidence, tools and strategies to integrate data literacy into science and STEM instruction, we can better prepare all students to thrive in a data-rich world.”

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