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This paper explores the potential of virtual education options to fulfill policies designed to broaden participation in computer science (CS) education. Virtual education platforms inherently offer access to a wider range of students than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Access does not preclude the various socio-economic challenges to engaging these platforms, but this format could be used to mitigate barriers to reaching groups of students that have historically been marginalized in CS courses. In 2019, Georgia passed legislation that requires all middle and high schools to offer CS courses by 2025. The legislation also allowed for virtual courses to satisfy the requirement. While the legislation is intent on broadening participation in CS education, it specifically incorporates a virtual option, making it novel among similar legislative actions across the country. In this context, we examine whether virtual CS courses increase access for marginalized student populations. As such, we explore (1) to what extent do the disparities in CS education found in brick-and-mortar classrooms also appear in virtual settings and (2) to what extent is there an association between modality and rurality on CS course enrollment. Using district enrollment data from 2012 to 2019 for CS courses in Georgia, we calculated the percentage of students in marginalized groups that enrolled in physical courses across the state compared to the percentage enrolled in statewide virtual courses to illuminate existing disparities in enrollment. We conducted this analysis at the district level to highlight variability in representative disparity and the underlying structural differences that might contribute to these disparities. Our analysis provides insight that incorporates the different levels of representative disparity districts have overall. As an early adopter of virtual CS education, the Georgia model provides valuable information for states interested in policies to broaden participation in CS courses.
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Determinants of Dual Enrollment Access: A National Examination of Institutional Context and State Policies
Despite considerable growth in rates of participation in recent years, concerns remain about disparities in access to dual enrollment programs. On one hand, there are questions regarding who has access, which students are most disadvantaged, and which schools fail to offer the opportunity at all? On the other hand, there has been little clarity about what helps to improve access—in particular, what is the role of state policies in this effort? Using nationally representative data sources, this study uses a multilevel approach to understand how dual enrollment participation varies at the level of states, schools, and students. The findings reveal that policy mandates are among the strongest predictors of dual enrollment participation. Furthermore, schools serving greater proportions of racially minoritized students are the least likely to offer dual enrollment, but within schools, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have a lower probability of participating relative to their more affluent peers.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1749275
- PAR ID:
- 10339949
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- AERA Open
- Volume:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 2332-8584
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 233285842110416
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211041628
