There is a growing disparity among girls based on racial, ethnic, economic, and regional differences. Girls are often unprepared for new fields such as computer science, biotechnology, and environmental science. And women are either not entering these fields or leaving quickly. The number of women entering computer science courses has dropped steadily for the last ten years. Teacher preparation programs give insufficient focus to gender equity, with a negative impact on both girls and boys.
Girls deserve a choice.
And choice comes from having knowledge and skills. They may get to college and think that math or computer science sounds interesting. But their path is set. If girls are not grounded in the fundamentals in elementary school and high school, they will be cut out of a career in technology. They won't have the skills and it's very difficult to catch up at that point.