Who Takes High School Computer Science?
Categories: US Education News
I was fortunate enough to go to a school district that offered Advanced Placement Computer Science (AP CS). I’m also young enough to remember that I chose to take psychology instead. That decision doesn’t make any sense. I was in a host of other advanced classes, and I loved math, physics, and chemistry. But, I wasn’t into video games, and I don’t fit the commonly held stereotype of what a “computer nerd” looks like.Lately, I’ve been reading the book Stuck in the Shallow End: Race, Education, and Computing. It’s made me think a lot about who gets to study and do computer science, and who never really gets the opportunity. It’s a phenomenal book that has prompted me to ask some big questions about the education system. I’ll also present some gender and race data about who takes the AP CS exam. In my opinion, the race and gender gap in this high school course is related to the race and gender gap in the computer science industry. Finally, I’ll suggest four types of people who might be able to help this problem. Introduction: What is AP CS? Advanced Placement CS is a course offered in some high schools, and it includes an AP test at the end of the course. Some universities recognize high marks on this test with college credit.Many people have their first experience with computer science via this course. Thinking critically about the course is important because the program affects future computer scientists. The Two Forms of AP CS AP Computer Science A, introduced in 1984, focuses on programming and problem-solving. The goal of the class, as described by the AP organization, is to “understand core aspects of computer science which [students] can use to create solutions that are understandable, adaptable, and when appropriate, reusable.” The evaluation for this course consists of one exam at the end of the year, made up of multiple-choice and free-response questions.AP Computer Science Principles, introduced in 2016, is about “introducing [students] to the foundations of computer science with a focus on how computing powers the world. Along with the fundamentals of computing, [students] will learn to analyze data, create technology that has a practical impact, and gain a broader understanding of how computer science impacts people and society.” This course broadens the offering of AP CS in high school to attract students who may not feel ready to commit to a year-long programming-based course.