OHHS wins national recognition for closing gender gap
College Board honors OHHS with AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award
OHHS earned the award for high female enrollment in its AP Computer Science Principles course, which is taught by Cynthia Spires. OHHS was one of only four high schools in the region to receive the award, and the only public high school.
Ms. Spires says she believes a number of factors contribute to increasing female enrollment in computer science courses. "The girls learn that it's not all boys in the courses -- because that's all they see in movies. And they also see that it's not just one person sitting at a computer, working alone, but that it's very collaborative. It's a group project," she says. "I think just the fact that I'm female makes it easier for girls to feel they can take the class. And also, other math teachers are really good about pitching my class."
