College Board AP Award goes to Sussex Academy

Sussex Academy has earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A.

Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access in AP computer science courses.

More than 1,100 institutions achieved 50% or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses or a percentage of the female computer science exam takers meeting or exceeding that of the school’s female population during the 2021-22 school year. In 2022, Sussex Academy was one of 209 schools recognized in the category of AP Computer Science A.

“We’re thrilled to congratulate our female AP computer science students and their teachers on this step toward gender parity in computer science education,” said Eric Anderson, head of school. “We’re honored that our school earned this distinction and look forward to seeing these young women and others pursue and achieve success in computer science education and careers.”

“Computer science is the source code of our economy and so much of our daily lives,” said Trevor Packer, College Board head of the AP program. “In the five years since we began the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, it’s been heartening to see schools like Sussex Academy welcome so many more young women into this vital field.”

Students in AP Computer Science A learn to design and implement computer programs that solve problems relevant to today’s society. AP Computer Science A, which first debuted in 1988, continues to grow, and female participation has increased 39% since 2017. Overall, AP computer science course participation has increased 103% since 2017, broadening STEM career opportunities for more students.

Providing female students with access to computer science courses is critical to ensuring gender parity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and driving innovation, creativity and representation. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $97,430 in May 2021. However, women represent just 24% of the 5 million people in computing occupations.

According to a Google study, 54% of female computer science majors took AP CSA in high school. College Board research finds that students are nearly twice as likely to enroll in AP CSA after taking AP Computer Science Principles.

These findings highlight the importance of schools nationwide achieving gender parity in AP computer science classrooms. Female students remain underrepresented in high school computer science classes, accounting for just 33% of AP Computer Science Principles participants and 25% of AP Computer Science A participants. Currently, 51% of high schools teach foundational computer science. The 1,105 schools that received this year’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award serve as inspirations and models for all U.S. high schools.