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Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 3219
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 01:00 pm: | 
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Jane Margolis is a scholar of equity issues raised by technology whose previous book was Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women and Computing. Her new book, which (like the previous one) is published by MIT Press, focuses on how issues of class and race affect access to technology and training. Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing is based on research by Margolis in Los Angeles high schools serving students of varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Margolis, a senior researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles Institute for Democracy, Education and Access, responded via e-mail to questions about the book.
Q: What are some examples or statistics that show the “virtual segregation” between low-income urban and more affluent high schools?
A: Advanced Placement Computer Science (AP CS) is the most advanced high school CS course and the only high school CS course that qualifies for college admission credit. Comparing AP CS course offerings in California high-poverty schools and low-poverty schools, we found in 2006 that 16.2 percent of low poverty schools offer AP CS (not a large number for sure), while only 5.2 percent of high poverty schools offer this course. In Los Angeles, Latino/as represent 69 percent of the high school population, but only 24 percent of the students enrolled in AP CS.
Q: Your study also found problems within affluent high schools with plenty of instruction and services available. What did you find there in terms of differing experiences of minority and other students?
A: Advanced Placement Computer Science was offered only in one of the schools we studied — the school with the higher number of white students, the school located in a white and wealthy part of LA. In this school, AP CS was insular, populated primarily by students with “preparatory privilege” — plenty of home resources, including equipment and parents who can be relied on for support or knowledge of the field; further, these students had networks of friends who know much about computing and have plentiful resources at home as well.
One of the biggest differences we found between the white students in this AP CS class and the few minority students that were enrolled was that of social networks. Networks can include counselors or teachers, parents and family who can demystify a subject. And friends. Peer networks. These social networks are ubiquitous for middle class students, and do not exist or function well for students of color. Many of the students of color report that when counselors come to speak with them about college, they feature the local community college, whereas when the counselors speak with the white students they talk about four-year universities such as UCLA.
Further, we found that when a student of color does break the color line and does enroll in the higher level courses (usually alone), the experience in these classes can be isolating, and even a psychological assault — i.e. the students are made to feel not up to the standard. It is understandable why students tend to want to be in classes where they feel more comfortable and surrounded by friends.
Q: Some of the problems you describe seem to be economic (lack of resources), but others relate to attitudes. Can you describe the problem there?
A: Attitudes play a big role here. We witnessed an educational system that was riddled with low expectations for the students of color. Then what occurs is that low curriculum is designed to match the low expectations.
Teachers and administrators commonly justify the lack of offerings based on students’ lack of interest and/or motivation. But, we witnessed students having lots of interest for technology and computing in the schools, but few opportunities to learn more. Without opportunities, interest will not ignite. Interest is not innate. It is fostered by opportunity and teaching that is engaging....
Full story: http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/01/shallowend |
Disciple724
Veteran Poster
Username: Disciple724
Post Number: 179
Registered: 07-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 03:41 pm: |
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A: Advanced Placement Computer Science was offered only in one of the schools we studied — the school with the higher number of white students, the school located in a white and wealthy part of LA. In this school, AP CS was insular, populated primarily by students with “preparatory privilege” — plenty of home resources, including equipment and parents who can be relied on for support or knowledge of the field; further, these students had networks of friends who know much about computing and have plentiful resources at home as well.
One of the biggest differences we found between the white students in this AP CS class and the few minority students that were enrolled was that of social networks. Networks can include counselors or teachers, parents and family who can demystify a subject. And friends. Peer networks. These social networks are ubiquitous for middle class students, and do not exist or function well for students of color. Many of the students of color report that when counselors come to speak with them about college, they feature the local community college, whereas when the counselors speak with the white students they talk about four-year universities such as UCLA.
Further, we found that when a student of color does break the color line and does enroll in the higher level courses (usually alone), the experience in these classes can be isolating, and even a psychological assault — i.e. the students are made to feel not up to the standard. It is understandable why students tend to want to be in classes where they feel more comfortable and surrounded by friends.
Yvette,
Whose responsibility is it to fix this condition? |
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