Victoria Bernhardt 2004

Victoria L. Bernhardt

B.S. 1974 Psychology; minor in Math
M.S. 1977 Statistics, Psychology, and Education
Paradise, Calif.

Victoria Bernhardt represents the best of what state universities such as Iowa State encourage their graduates to do with their education. While most people realize the value of education for an individual, it is when the education is used to open new areas of knowledge that education benefits all of society.

Throughout her career, Bernhardt has focused on improving public education, from elementary school through college. She has been involved with designing and implementing evaluations to improve teacher preparation, and since 1991 has been executive director of the Education for the Future Initiative, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to build the capacity of all schools at all levels to continuously improve. She is the author of 11 highly regarded books.

Bernhardt’s research has helped educators use data to improve instruction and, therefore, student learning. A colleague writes that Bernhardt’s work “has had significant influence on the way schools and districts are approaching comprehensive school improvement processes” and that her work has “truly impacted students, staff, and parents in all 50 of our United States.”