The College Board has recognized Valley View High School with the AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for expanding young women’s access to AP Computer Science A (CSA). This award acknowledges 1,119 schools for their work toward equal gender representation during the 2019-20 school year—nearly 37 percent more than the 818 schools recognized last year.
Valley View High School is one of only 232 schools to be recognized for achieving this important result in CSA.
“We are so proud of this achievement,” said Superintendent Dr. Martinrex Kedziora. “We believe young students should be involved in STEAM opportunities as much as possible to open future career opportunities. We have several programs across the district, but we are especially proud of Valley View’s program and its efforts in engaging our female students in computer science.”
The College Board states that research shows female students who take AP computer science are more likely to major in computer science in college compared with matched peers. AP Computer Science A students learn to design and implement computer programs that solve problems relevant to today’s society. The number of female AP CSA exam-takers has grown steadily, up nearly 25 percent since 2017. Overall AP computer science course participation has increased 79 percent since 2017, broadening STEM career opportunities for more students.
“Valley View High School’s program can make a huge impact in the lives of our students,” said School Board President Darrell Peeden. “There are many STEAM jobs available, but most people are not qualified. The only way to fulfill those jobs is to prepare our young leaders for those opportunities. I applaud Valley View High School’s team for the work that they do for our female students and all students.”
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