Equity & Diversity Report Roundup

Computer Science

By Marva Hinton — October 25, 2016 1 min read
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Lack of access to computers and computer science classes contribute to the continuing racial and gender gaps in K-12 computer science education, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Gallup organization for Google.

Gallup conducted phone interviews with more than 1,600 students in grades 7-12 and their parents in December of 2015 and January 2016. The polling group also interviewed some 1,000 teachers of grades 1-12 and more 11,000 administrators. The results show that:

• Black students are less likely than white students to have computer science classes at school (47 percent versus 58 percent, respectively).

• Black and Hispanic students are less likely than white students to use a computer at home.

• Girls are less likely than boys to be told by parents or teachers that they would be good at computer science.

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A version of this article appeared in the October 26, 2016 edition of Education Week as Computer Science

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