Quantifying Disparities in Computing Education: Access, Participation, and Intersectionality

Abstract

Quantitative research in CS education has suffered from inattention to complexities inherent in measuring educational equity. This study aims to tease apart the complexities of educational equity and advance the field by developing a disparity index for quantifying inequities and using it to investigate the importance of accounting for intersectionality and distinguishing between access to and participation in CS education. This descriptive study analyzed student demographic and course-taking data for N=1,537,073 high school students in Texas. Results showed the disparity index can be a useful tool for quantifying and assessing equity in CS education. Disparities in terms of access to and participation in CS education were compounded for students who were members of multiple underrepresented subpopulations (e.g., rural Black females). Disparities differed between measures of access and participation. Implications of this study are that accounting for the intersectionality of students' multiple social identities and distinguishing between access and participation in quantitative measures are key to understanding (and thus addressing) the complexities of educational equity.