By Paula Nazario, EdSource
Far too often, ZIP-code and socioeconomic status determine whether California students have access to a computer science education — and those who don’t live in the right school district often miss out on this key opportunity to thrive in the digital future.
In fact, only 39% of California high schools offer at least one computer science class, and the most recent data from the California Department of Education in 2018 indicates that only 5% of high schoolers are actually enrolled in a computer science course. Further examination reveals that Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Pacific Islander students, along with girls from almost every background, are vastly underrepresented in these courses. In other words, our current system helps perpetuate a deep digital divide by restricting access to students from only the most privileged backgrounds.