The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is conducting a project consisting of a sequence of three interconnected activities designed to enhance the quality of science, mathematics, engineering, and technological (SMET) education in community colleges. Activity One. Fall, 1997 Conference of Community College SMET Educators. This is national meeting of representatives from groups interested in science and engineering advanced technological education, including principal investigators from current National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers, private and public sector leaders, and professional associations, among others concerned about such programs. Activity Two. A Case Study of the ATE Program. This activity is a study of the four-year old NSF ATE program. The study is looking at what has been accomplished through the program and its relationship with other stakeholders in the process (businesses, schools, four-year colleges and universities, and others). The case study focuses on approximately ten projects. A 100 to 150 page monograph is being produced which is being widely distributed throughout the community college community. It is being used to shape Activity Three described below. Activity Three. Fall, 1998 Conference of Community College SMET Educators. The purpose of this conference is to underscore and discuss the findings of the assessment conducted in Activity Two. A conference report includes these recommendations and is being shared with conference participants and distributed to the larger community of SMET-interested audiences. *
