During the fall of 1997, requests to nominate exemplary programs in teacher preparation at community colleges were distributed to community college leaders across the nation.  Eleven exemplary programs in mathematics and science preparation were to be selected and their programs highlighted at a conference in March 1998. Stephen Rodi nominated Austin Community College's program in the mathematical preparation of prospective elementary teachers as an exemplary program.

In January 1998 ACC was informed that it had been selected as one of the eleven exemplary programs selected from a national field of thirty-seven nominations. Mary Hannigan, Vera Preston, and Stephen Rodi were invited to attend the NSF-sponsored conference highlighting these exemplary programs.

This website contains the materials we developed for or took with us to the conference. The first page, from which you just linked, contains a brief overview of the elements of our program that we believe make it a strong program as well as a list of the course activities that exemplify the types of assignments our students complete. The overview is the philosophical foundation for what we do in our courses and the activities the tools to implement that philosophy.

We hope you enjoy perusing this site and gain some insight into the mathematical preparation of prospective of elementary teachers at Austin Community College.

I'd like to extend special thanks to Stephen Rodi for his support of my involvement in the preparation of prospective elementary teachers. It is only a small niche of what we do at ACC, but one that is near and dear to my heart.

I'd also like to thank Stephen Kinslow for his support of my involvement in state-wide reform efforts. I think my youth and inexperience made him a little leery, but he supported me and I value that.

The Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative has played a key role in the development of my vision for future elementary teachers. I appreciate the support of the Texas SSI and the members of the Action Team on the Strengthening the Mathematics Preparation of Elementary Teachers.

Undying thanks go to Tracy Rusch, my colleague and friend, with whom I spent many, many hours developing the vision and course materials for Modern Math.

Many thanks also go to Mary Ann Emerson for her work in preparing the poster we took with us to Washington, DC. It was, in my opinion!, the best one there!

Thanks also go to Stevan Sanchez for taking on the challenge of putting a coherent video together from someone else's footage. He did a wonderful job!