Experience

Experience focuses on the outcomes (results) of participation in CS.

You can look at experience as the tip of the iceberg; which is why it is the top of the CAPE Triangle. Experience is what most people see when they look at data.

To investigate experience, we will use data to answer the following questions:

1) What are our AP CS passing rates, over time? This data is parsed to show district wide results and results specific to various race and gender subgroups.

2) When asked, how do students describe their experience in CS?

Below, you will find three data sets organized by source.

Passing Rates

MS Student Perspective

HS Student Perspective

Comparison Data

Key Conclusions:

In West Hartford, AP CS A passing rates continue to be ~80% while AP CS Principles passing rates continue to be ~85%. The international passing rate for AP CS A is ~65% and ~63% for AP CS Principles. We also continue to show an increase in the number of students taking tests for each course.
97 Middle School students replied to a survey asking about their experiences in computer science. This is less than 10% of middle school students. The response rate is very small, so demographics for smaller population groups is not shown.
- Middle School students experience CS within their CTE class rotation.
- The main reason students report that they did not choose to sign up for CS in high school is that there was no room in their schedule. The next most frequent response is that they did not enjoy computer science.
- When asked about student experiences in CS, differences existed in student experiences:
  - Asian/Pacific Islander respondents were more likely than any other population to report that they feel like they "belong" and that they "understand what they are learning better than other students".
  - Females were most likely to report being "liked", but least likely to report that they felt like they belonged or were interested in what they were learning in computer science. Of the respondents to this survey, 92% of female respondents reported that they felt like other students liked them while only 70% of female students reported feeling like they belonged and only 65% of female respondents felt interested in what they were learning.
  - African American / Black students were most likely to report that they are interested in CS but least likely to report feel liked or feeling like they understand what is being taught in CS. 85% of African American/Black respondents reported interest in computer science, higher than any other demographic, but only 69% reported feeling like they understood what they were learning better than other students.
About 50% of high school students replied to a survey asking about their experiences in computer science.
- When asked how students heard about CS course options, the approximately half of respondents remembered that presentations to math classes helped them to understand. Approximately 1/3 reported that the program of studies helped them as well. The majority reported that no particular event helped them to decide.
- Student plans for their future were significantly influenced by taking CS classes. The majority said that as a result of taking CS they are now interested in a major or possible career in CS.
- Students in the high school population replied to similar questions asked to middle school students about their feelings while taking CS classes.
  - The vast majority of students (85% and above) feel like they belong and felt that other students seem to like them in computer science.
  - It was concerning that more than half of students in every demographic report feeling bored in computer science.
  - Females were least likely to report that they felt like they understood CS more than other students, revealing a confidence gap.
Finally we compared the survey results in 2021 to those in 2023.
- The three most important reasons student provided for why they opted to take a course in computer science were: (1) a presentation to their math class, (2) a conversation with a friend or someone outside of school, and (3) a conversation with a school counselor or teacher. The math class presentations were far more impactful and effective in 2023 than 2021 as evidenced by an increased percentage in each subgroup identifying these as the main reason they opted to take a course in computer science.
- Overall, students show an increase in their feelings of belonging, knowing that others seem to like them, and their understanding of course material. Interestingly, students also show an increase of feeling bored in computer science classes.
- Our confidence gap has shown promising decrease from 2021 to 2023. The closer this ratio is to 0, the closer we are to parity. Conard showed a two-fold improvement while Hall showed a 1.5 fold improvement.

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