ISU hosts STEM conference targeting secondary/post-secondarycollaboration of pre-calculus teachers

The Department of Mathematics at Iowa State University will host Pre-Calculus:
Three communities, One goal on campus June 7- 9, 2012.
Teachers of pre-calculus and calculus as well as guidance counselors at Iowa
high schools, community colleges, and Regents universities will hear from experts and
will discuss ways to better prepare students to succeed in mathematics. Students
who fail or are misplaced in pre-calculus often change majors away from science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The conference will address
means to collaborate across institutions and advance students’ understanding of key
ideas in pre-calculus and calculus.
Keynote speakers include Marilyn Carlson from Arizona State University and
David Bressoud, past-president of the Mathematics Association of America from
Macalester College. Carlson, who has developed student tasks and teacher tools for
teaching pre-calculus, will report on the use of the tools that results in pre-calculus
students’ increased understanding of key ideas that are foundational for calculus.
Bressoud will report on the effects of the growth of the AP Calculus program as shown
by his large ongoing study of calculus. He will address the responses needed within
high schools and universities.
This conference meets the recommendations of the Governor’s STEM Advisory
Council where emphasis is placed on growth and alignment of STEM education
partnerships among PK-16 programs and retention of students in the STEM disciplines.
Teachers participating in the conference receive housing, meals, travel support,
and a stipend. For more information, visit www.math.iastate.edu/2012PreCalculus
Those interested in participating should contact Heather Bolles
hbolles@iastate.edu by May 23.