|
|
|
The views expressed on this page are soley
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of County
News Online
|
 |
Education Dive
Rural student enrollment in AP Computer Science Principals course more than doubles
Shawna De La Rosa
Dec. 11, 2019
Dive Brief:
The College Board's AP Computer Science Principals course enrollment
for 2019 is 117% higher among rural students since the curriculum
launched in 2016-17, and the increase is even more pronounced for girls
at 141%. The AP course teaches students how the internet works, how
data is secured and transmitted, the importance of data privacy and
basic programming.
The number of students earning a grade of 3 or higher on the AP CSP exam grew by 109%.
The organization cited the course's curriculum in a press release as an
example of its commitment to better serve rural and small-town students
— who represent about one-third of the U.S. student population overall
— as well as to recruit more girls to the computer science field. Its
recent initiatives with other organizations and state education
agencies have also focused on expanding access for students of color.
Dive Insight:
The push to diversify computer science seems to be paying off. The
number of girls who took the AP computer science exam jumped 135%
between 2016 and 2017. Likewise, the number of black and Latino
students who took the test surged by 170% from 2016 to 2017, totaling
over 22,000 students.
A piece of U.S. legislation introduced earlier this week is designed to
help schools recruit girls, young women and underrepresented minorities
into STEM classes — and eventually STEM careers. The bill, called the
21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act, would
also encourage districts to enhance STEM programs at young ages and
increase funding for teacher development, parent outreach, mentoring
and tutoring, after-school and summer STEM programs, and high school
course selection counseling.
Getting girls hooked on STEM at a young age may be the key to solving
the shortage of females in these fields. Girls’ brains function the
same as boys from the ages of 3 to 10. But in middle school, boys begin
to outperform girls in science and math, largely due to societal
factors — which may be why boys are more likely to pursue a career in
the STEM fields.
|
|
|
|
