The concepts presented in HtDCH, combined with information about the Advanced Placement curriculum of the College Board that I learned about at several other workshops, enabled me to tremendously improve the computer science curriculum at Oregon High School. First, HtDCH made it reasonable for me to teach the Advanced Placement Computer Science AB: Data Structures curriculum (the equivalent of a second semester university level class) instead of the A curriculum (the equivalent of a first semester university level class). Further, I was able to modify the Advanced Placement Curriculum so that I can now teach the Data Structures AB curriculum in a way which my students can unde stand not just the material on the AP Exam, but also the underlying theory of object oriented programming. Dr. Proulx taught me specific techniques that I am using for the Advanced Placement year with my high school students. My students have a solid understanding of Java hierarchies and data structures.
One of my students from last year, now studying at Winona State University, reports back to me that understanding class hierarchies, using Dr. Proulx's approach, has made her Sophomore level computer science classes easy. She is tutoring her fellow students. The HtDCH approach makes a big difference for students who continue in computer science and related fields. I have neither seen a textbook nor any other workshop that I have attended (and I attend three to five workshops like this every school year) where this material is so understandable.