0 Stuck in the Shallow End

Stuck in the Shallow End
Education, Race & Computing
Jane Margolis
with Rachel Estrella, Joanne Goode, Jennifer Jellison Holme and Kim Nao

This is my second time hearing Jane Margolis speak about education, race and computing. Earlier this year, Jane was a keynote at the Tapia Conference in Portland, Oregon. I read some of her research, regarding race and computing, sometime around 2004-2005. Her work led me to a commitment in computer science education. Today she is the morning keynote speaker at the K12 Teachers workshop.

One of the outcomes of her work in computer science education is the Exploring Computer Science Curriculum - A pre-APCS course. If you are teaching (or plan to teach) an introduction to computing course, I recommend reviewing this curriculum. It includes day to day lesson plans and activities.

• Over 20 schools/750 students
• relevant/engaging
• need to assess student achievement
• PD is important**

Key Question

Why are so few African American, Lationo/a and Female High School Students Learning Computer Science?

The Schools

East River High School

• Built for 2000 students, has 5000 students
• Technology rich, but curriculum poor; "filled with technology!"
• Classes: word processing, internet publishing, No APCS
  
• Teachers, administration were confusing computer literacy with computer science
• The thinking and problem solving was missing from the curriculum
• CS was vocational, NOT academic core; Did not "boost" academic transcript of college bound students, so they opted not to take the course.
• Teachers "out of subject"/no CS credential
• CS as a "dumping ground"
• Interest is there, courses are NOT

Westward Senior High - Math Science Aerospace Magnet

• Predominately African American, middle/working class families
• Similar to East River in many ways
• AP was there, but canceled after 1 year because the student's scores were so low
• Classes: Internet publishing class, Introduction to computers

Canyon High School

• "Preparatory Privilege" vs. Innate Talent
• Students from over 101 zip codes
• two- thirds of the students are of colore
• "Two schools in one"
• Incredible racial divide - but students of color not in honors classes

Issues in K12 Computer Science

• Disparities falling along race/class lines
• CS -- vocational
• Teachers isolated; need more training
• Pedagogy "boring", rote
• Pressure of high-stakes testing/shrinking curriculum
• computer classes as "Dumping Grounds"
• Insularity of AP CS
• Belief systems rationalize low curriculum

K12/University Partnership Formed: CS Equity Alliance

Initial Focus: Equity Access to AP CS (2004-07)

1. 11 (out of 57) High Schools offered AP CS
2. Commitments from principals
3. AP CS teachers attend UCLA Institute

Results

African Americans: 17 to 33
Latino/as: 53 to 297
Females: 47 to 230

Jane used the line "Two steps forward, one step back" to describe the persistent problems that exist, even though there is a big effort (and success) in computer science education at the K12 level.

1. loss of teachers and classes (testing pressures)
2. teachers need more training
3. students need more support/more preparation
4. frustrations with AP CS

Great keynote (as usual)!!