If you're an education leader concerned with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives, this book will help you both understand and implement STEM action plans. The book starts by putting STEM in context, as the early chapters outline the challenges facing STEM education, draw lessons from the Sputnik moment of the 1950s and 1960s, and contrast contemporary STEM with other education reforms. The author then explores appropriate roles for the federal government as well as states, districts, and individual schools. Finally, the book offers several ideas you can use to develop actual action plans for STEM. Throughout the book, author Rodger W. Bybee puts an emphasis on both thinking and acting. That's why The Case for STEM Education is a must-read for leaders at all levels: national and state policy makers, state-level educators responsible for STEM initiatives, college and university faculty who educate future STEM teachers, local administrators who make decisions about district and school programs, and teachers who represent STEM disciplines.

Rodger Bybee served as executive director of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) from 1999-2007. He also served as both chair of the science forum and chair of the science expert group for PISA 2006. In addition, he worked on the TIMSS 1999 science lesson video study. His major areas of work have included scientific literacy, scientific inquiry, design and development of school science curricula, the role of policy in science education, and work on international assessments, in particular PISA. He recently retired from BSCS but continues consulting and publishing on policies, programs, and practices for science education at local, national, and international levels. Dr. Bybee serves on a number of advisory boards and committees including those for The National Academies, The U.S. Department of Education, The National Science Foundation, and The American Institute of Biological Sciences. He currently chairs the National Forum for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development for the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment in Science. In addition he is an advisor to the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study video projects. Dr. Bybee received his Ph.D. from New York University and his M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Northern Colorado.