Educational Policy & Leadership Studies

Collaboration Compliments Programs

After nomination from the College of Education-a charter member of the University Council for Educational Administration-the UCEA named Ron Fielder as one of its recipients of the 2003 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award. Fielder, who serves as the Grant Wood Area Education Agency chief administrator, was recognized for his outstanding work in the professional development of Iowa's school leaders.

"Ron is a creative and highly effective contributor to the improvement of school administrator preparation for today's schools," said Professor Larry Bartlett. "He is supportive and strongly believes in working together with the College in many educational endeavors."

Fielder developed the well-regarded Contemporary School Leadership program that has flourished throughout the state. The program provides immediate and long-term positive effects on participants, schoolchildren, education, and the quality of life in Iowa by developing exceptional school leaders for the 21st century.

The Grant Wood AEA and the College collaborate on many projects including math, science, and special education grants and are partners in an educational administration mentoring program.

Dean Sandra Damico says the Grant Wood AEA contributes to College programs in many ways, just as the College contributes to theirs. "We each have skills and staff that compliment each other," Damico said. "Joining efforts with Ron has been a very rewarding experience. He is a true collaborator and knows how working together accomplishes so much more."

"Ron exemplifies desirable characteristics of educational leaders," Bartlett added, "and he is willing to share his beliefs and philosophies, even if he is from Kansas."

Fulbright Scholar David Bills Works At German Think-Tank

Associate Professor David Bills is a sociologist who has spent his career studying U.S. labor markets and the links between education and the world of work. Now, as a Fulbright Scholar, he will widen his study to include that of international labor by working for a social science research think-tank this fall.

Bills teamed with German teacher and researcher, Dr. Markus Gangl, to work in the Labor Market Policy & Employment Unit of the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, or the Social Science Research Center-Berlin. The two researchers examined hiring and training practice trends of German and U.S. employers over the past 20 years.

"What's exciting about the opportunity to work at WZB is that it brings together people from all over the world to address issues with real policy implications," Bills said. "It's a beautiful, state of the art facility that gives me a chance to collaborate with some exceptional scholars."

Bills' German-American comparison on how people get hired and trained found historical differences. "The Germans form well-structured relationships between education and industry through youth apprenticeships," he said. "The U.S. is now looking at this convergence to improve the transition from school to the workplace."

In addition to his work related to the Fulbright, Bills is collaborating on a project with the National Center for Education Statistics and MPR Associates on the participation of adults in work-related education.