EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Officials with El Paso’s Harmony Science Academy announced that the school has earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principals.
Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access in AP computer science courses.
The College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award recognizes schools that are closing the gender gap and expanding young women’s access to computer science coursework in AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) and AP Computer Science A (AP CSA).
Specifically, College Board is honoring schools that have either reached 50% or higher female examinee representation in one of or both AP computer science courses, or whose percentage of the female examinees met or exceeded that of the school’s female population.
Harmony Science Academy was one of 760 recognized nationally in the category of AP Computer Science Principles (CSP).
“By encouraging young women to study advanced computer science coursework, Harmony Science Academy is closing the gap in computer science education and empowering young women to access the opportunities available in STEM career fields,” says Stefanie Sanford, College Board chief of Global Policy and External Relations. “Computer science is the foundation of many 21st- century career options, and young women deserve equal opportunities to pursue computer science education and drive technological innovation.”
According to College Board’s research, female students who take AP CSP in high school are more than five times as likely to major in computer science in college, compared to female students of similar background and academic preparation who did not take CSP.
The study also finds AP CSP students are nearly twice as likely to enroll in AP CSA, and that for most students, AP CSP serves as a stepping stone to other advanced AP STEM coursework.
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