Data supplied by College Board from the 1997 AP Exam. Boys are more likely to enroll in advanced computer science and graphics courses. School software programs often reinforce gender bias and stereotypical gender roles. Girls consistently rate themselves significantly lower than boys on computer ability, and boys exhibit higher self-confidence and a more positive attitude about computers than do girls. Girls use computers less often outside of school.
Boys enter the classroom with more prior experience with computers and other technology than girls.
It is clear that computer literacy is necessary to promote an interest in computer science, but it is not enough. It also seems clear that we may be doing a better job of getting girls interested in computers but not in computer science. Read two essays on the subject. A full report on these statistics was published by the National Science Foundation. The most telling result of the two student surveys was that women, much more so than men, felt less prepared to major in EECS than their peers.