NGSS Writing Team Leader: Rodger Bybee

Rodger W. Bybee is Chair of the Science Forum and Science Expert Group and was a Questionnaire Panel Consultant for Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006. Until 2007, Dr. Bybee was Executive Director of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), a non-profit organization in Colorado Springs, Colorado that develops curriculum materials, provides professional development for the science education community, and conducts research and evaluation on curriculum reform. Prior to joining BSCS, he was Executive Director of the National Research Council’s (NRC) Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education (CSMEE), in Washington, D.C. Between 1985 and 1995, he participated in the development of the National Science Education Standards, and between1992–1995 he also chaired the content working group of that NRC project.

At BSCS, Dr. Bybee was the principal investigator for four National Science Foundation (NSF) programs. His work at BSCS also included serving as Principal Investigator for programs to develop curriculum frameworks for teaching about the history and nature of science and technology for biology education at high schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges.

From 1972 to 1985, Dr. Bybee was Professor of Education at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He has been active in education for more than forty years, having taught science at the elementary, secondary, and college 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 previously chaired the National Forum for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the 2006 PISA in Science. In addition, he is an advisor to the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) video projects.

Dr. Bybee has written widely, publishing in both education and psychology. He is co-author of a leading textbook titled Teaching Secondary School Science: Strategies for Developing Scientific Literacy. His recent books include Achieving Scientific Literacy: From Purposes to Practices and Learning Science and the Science of Learning.

Over the years, Dr. Bybee has received many accolades as an educator and leader in science education. In 1979 he was Outstanding Science Educator of the Year. In 1989 he was recognized as one of the 100 outstanding alumni in the history of the University of Northern Colorado. In 1998, he was presented with the Distinguished Service to Science Education Award by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). In 2001, he received the first American Institute of Biological Sciences Education Award. In 2007, he received the Robert H. Carleton Award, NSTA’s highest honor for national leadership in science education.