John Carroll High School has earned the prestigious College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science. This course teaches students how to design and implement computer programs that solve problems relevant to today’s society.
Out of the 20,000 institutions that offer AP courses, 1,119 achieved 50 percent or higher femalerepresentation in one of the two AP computer science courses during the 2019-2020 school year. John Carroll High School was one of 232 schools recognized in the category of AP Computer Science A.
“During an unprecedented year, John Carroll High School female students have demonstrated perseverance and dedication in all of our computer science classes, especially in AP Computer Science,” said Corey Heroux, John Carroll High School principal. “We could not be prouder of our female students for staking their claim as the next generation of STEM and computer science professionals. We cannot wait to see their passion for computer science lead to lifelong success.”
With less than half of the nation’s high schools teaching foundational computer science, providing female students with access to computer science courses is critical in ensuring gender parity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and representation.
“John Carroll High School’s students need the power to shape technology, not just cope with it,” said Stefanie Sanford, College Board chief of global policy and external relations. “Young women deserve an equal opportunity to become the next generation of entrepreneurs, engineers and tech leaders. Closing the gap in computer science education empowers young women to build the future they want.”
According to College Board research, female students who take AP computer science courses in high school are more than five times likely to major in computer science in college, compared to similar female students who did not take these courses.
“I think that these courses prepare us for the future, and these skills are really important to learn,” said Rylee Defrancesco, a junior at John Carroll High School.
John Carroll High School is an AP Capstone School with strict guidelines and prerequisites that students must meet in order to participate in AP classes. The school’s AP classes include Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Physics, Psychology, Research, Seminar, Spanish, Statistics, US History, US Government, and World History.
Visit johncarrollhigh.com or call 772-464-5200 for more information about John Carroll High School. Follow the school on Facebook and Instagram @johncarrollhighschool, and on Twitter @JohnCarrollHS. Stay connected with the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Palm Beach online at diocesepbschools.org. For updates on the 18 diocesan Catholic schools, follow the office on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @DoPBCatholicSchools.
