Fellowship program emphasizes diversity, ethics

ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College of Education and its Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies have formed a partnership with the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics to bring a nationally renowned leadership program to Arizona.

The Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) is a 10-month, in-service leadership development program spearheaded by the Institute for Educational Leadership, based in Washington, D.C. The program combines two annual conferences of national scope – the Leadership Forum and the Washington Policy Seminar – with activities specific to each of the 19 state programs to provide a comprehensive professional development experience for more than 200 fellows each academic year.

The program prepares leaders in public and private organizations to create and implement sound public policy in education and related fields through a curriculum that consists of three major strands: leadership theory and practice, public policy and professional networking.

Since its inception in 1964, the EPFP has served more than 6,000 alumni who now lead at high levels within the public and private sector.
While the national program provides a common mission and core values, the individual state programs are encouraged to create unique program components that address the concerns of their states and regions.

The Arizona Education Policy Fellowship program launched last fall under the leadership of the Fulton College and Lincoln Center, with 14 fellows representing pre-K-12 and higher education, local and state government agencies, public policy groups, foundations and nonprofits, and corporations from throughout the state of Arizona. The Arizona fellows were selected to the inaugural program based upon their proven leadership abilities and concern for improving the life chances of children, youth and adults.

Among the 19 state EPFP programs in the nation, the Arizona program is the only one located in the West, and the only one with the central goal of preparing leaders to address educational policy with a focus on ethics, diversity and leadership.

“It is my hope that the fellows from Arizona will not only benefit personally from this professional development experience, but also leave the program ready to make an immediate and future impact on the development and implementation of educational policies that support increased opportunities for all children, youth, and adults in the state and across the nation,” says Caroline Turner, Lincoln Professor of Ethics and Education with the Fulton College and coordinator of the Arizona EPFP.

Turner is an alumna of Minnesota’s EPFP and later served as that program’s co-coordinator. Emerging from this experience, Turner became a researcher in a multiple-state study of school policy reforms and their promise for a seamless educational system.
J. Luke Wood, a doctoral student within the educational leadership and policy studies program at ASU, is serving with Turner as co-coordinator of the Arizona EPFP.

Within the Arizona program, fellowship activities include interaction with one another through a variety of on- and off-site learning and information-sharing opportunities, such as seminars, guest lectures, informal discussions, site visits, skill development workshops, and individual and group projects.

Program highlights have included a discussion with former ASU President Lattie Coor on the future of the state; an in-depth exploration of leadership styles presented by Robert Denhardt, Lincoln Professor of Leadership and Ethics and Director of the School of Public Affairs at ASU; and a daylong visit to the Arizona Capitol played host to by Rep. Robert Meza, which included a panel discussion with Meza, Becky Hill of Hill Advocacy and Kent Scribner, former superintendent of Isaac School District, as well as admission to the Gov. Janet Napolitano’s “State of the State” address.

The fellows also recently toured StarShine Academy, a 2007 Arizona Department of Education Spotlight on Success award recipient.

“Since its inception in 2002, StarShine Academy has captured the attention of the community, garnered endorsements from educational leaders and legislators, and praise from the United Nations,” Turner says. “We were pleased to expose our fellows to this transformational community school that ignites and enables the aspirations of children.”

In addition to participating in the wide array of program activities, each fellow will design a capstone project that addresses the policy issues related to ethics, diversity and educational leadership.

To learn more about the Arizona Education Policy Fellowship Program, or to apply to be a 2008-2009 Arizona EPFP Fellow, visit the Web page www.asu.edu/clas/lincolncenter/featuredEdPolFellowship.html.