Achieving science literacy for every student is the common goal of all science educators. It requires leaders from a broad spectrum of the science education field to band together and clearly define how to achieve this goal and provide the tools for getting there. The authors of the essays in Science Education Leadership: Best Practices for the New Century make a compelling case for the importance of these leaders to forge a coalition and address issues of science education. They outline practical approaches needed for laying the foundation on which science education leaders at all levels can work together to develop a more science literate world. As such, this book will be invaluable to those who want to broaden the scope of their leadership roles.

The book shares the research, ideas, insights, and experiences of individuals representing a wide array of constituent groups, ranging from science teachers to science supervisors to university personnel to those who work for agencies representing the science education field. The chapters are organized around five themes:

• The Science Education Challenge: Redefining Science Education Leadership for the 21st Century

• School and District Science Leadership for Building Instructional Capacity

• Science Education Leadership: Rationale, Strategy, and Impact

• School Improvement Processes and Practices: Professional Learning Communities

• Leadership that Engages the Public Understanding of Science

Science Education Leadership captures the best thinking and best practices for science education leaders. Science educators can use it to vitalize their work.