AP’s Newest Computer Science Course Has Attracted More Diverse Students — edweek.org
More diverse than what, you ask? Probably more diverse than AP Computer Science A.
AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) was launched in the 2016-17 school year, aiming to bring more Black, Latino, and female students into computing. AP CSP is more introductory and contains less technical content. AP CSA teaches object-oriented programming via hands-on coding in Java.
I don’t often hear something so openly condescending and insulting as that the only way to bring black/brown/female students into computer science is via a dumbed-down curriculum. Get them into CSA like everyone else.
Here are some numbers on the AP CSP exam score distribution.
Not only is the percentage of students scoring a 5 on the AP CSP test significantly lower than any other math or computer science test, it’s one of the lowest percentages on any AP test.
AP CSP is an easy class, much easier than AP CSA. I’m speculating that the higher percentage of CSA students scoring a 5 is largely due to self-selection. A top-tier high school will offer AP CSA and probably produce good results. A lot of high schools don’t offer it, because they don’t have the quality of students or teachers to make it work.
At schools that offer both CSP and CSA, stronger students will take CSA because they know that CSP is a minor league class that won’t prepare them for a college-level CS curriculum.
I’ve tutored a lot of AP CSP students and invariably they have large knowledge gaps. They haven’t learned what they need to learn. They haven’t learned to think like programmers. A lot of this is because schools can’t get qualified computer science teachers, so they put the students on a do-it-yourself online curriculum. When students get stuck, they have no one to help them because the teachers have no computer science education or experience.
The CSA students may face the same obstacles — online curriculum, unqualified teachers — but they’re academically stronger and they can work through it.
I’d like to see the AP CSP class eliminated. Put everyone in CSA. There’s still a problem with getting qualified teachers for CSA but it’s insulting to offer CSP as a class for black/brown/female students.
CSP probably does more harm than good. The curriculum doesn’t prepare students for “real” computer science, and the instruction is so poor that it discourages students from ever taking another CS class.
Thus spoke The Programmer.