More Girls Than Boys
“Being from the Bronx, Comp Sci High should prioritize minority groups, so why has Comp Sci High had a majority of male enrollment until this year? Is it an issue with the school, or something larger? And what sparked the change? Most importantly, how will this change affect the future of Comp Sci High’s students?”
If you’re a boy, think about your classes during your time in Comp Sci High. If you’re a girl, do the same. Have you noticed the disproportionate amount of boys to girls? This has been the case since the opening of the school in 2018. Only this year, in 2024, do the girls outnumber boys in the freshman class for the first time.
Ever since the opening of Comp Sci high, the school's mission has been to set students up to have a median income of $100,000 by the age of 25. The mission is to grant the best education to everyone, no matter gender, race, or ethnicity. Being from the Bronx, Comp Sci High should prioritize minority groups, so why has Comp Sci High had a majority of male enrollment until this year? Is it an issue with the school, or something larger? And what sparked the change? Most importantly, how will this change affect the future of Comp Sci High’s students?
According to Chalkbeat, “A whopping 17% of New York City public high schoolers go to a school that’s at least 65% male or 65% female.” This a stark comparison to Los Angeles, in which “just 4% of students attend a gender-skewed high school.” Furthermore, “in Chicago, the figure is 3%.”
This issue is much more prominent in NYC than other cities, but why? Many high schools in NYC are CTE schools, meaning they specialize in a certain career that they help their students work toward. For schools that specialize in areas in STEM like Comp Sci High, this means their attendance will usually be mostly boys, which is unfortunate because STEM careers are great opportunities to make money. According to Forbes, “In 2022, STEM workers earned a median annual wage of $101,650, more than double than the $46,680 average for non-STEM occupations.”
To see how this has affected the learning and classroom environment, we asked Comp Sci High students and teachers to see what they felt about the school being mostly boys, and the effect this has had on people’s education.
“Sometimes it’s a little weird,” 12th grade student Jasmine says. Another 12th grader, Monica, says, “It’s noticeable because one time all the boys had to stay in the cafeteria, and I went to advisory and there were like only three girls there.” And Aslin, another 12th grader, says, “In my advisory there were only three girls.”
Even though the classroom environment should be welcoming, it’s clear some girls feel uncomfortable being so outnumbered.
In the current freshman class, some girls say that it’s better having more girls than boys because “girls get along better than with boys so there’s more people to get along with.” This feels especially true for freshmen who are coming into a new space and need to quickly find someone to feel comfortable with.
No matter if there are more girls in a class or more boys in a class, the minority gender group in the class often experiences a similar issue when it comes to participation. The minority gender would often participate less than the majority. As Jazlynn says: “It can feel like more of a hostile environment, since boys can be more insulting in their actions,” and she further found it “difficult to engage with boys.”
Aslin says, “I definitely spoke less because most of the boys were more outspoken,” while Yuliana says, “The guys can be more messy behaviorally, and yet we girls get involved in things and get accused of things.” She also adds: “When it comes to a girl being in a room filled with guys, you don’t always feel like you fit in.” One student even says that they “don’t feel like [this situation] does motivate me.” A classroom environment with uneven genders can have a negative impact on participation, which “has a significant positive correlation” to learning outcome, according to SCRIP. This reduction in participation can also affect their confidence and make them feel left out.
At the school level, we asked Ms. Kneish if there were any pushes or advertisements geared toward young girls that might have had an impact on girls applying. Surprisingly, there were none. At the recruitment events she attends, she hasn’t noticed much interest in the computer science aspect of the school. Instead, she views the increase in girls mainly being from sisters and friends of previous students. This opens the idea to a new theory on why there’s more girls than boys in the freshman class.
When interviewing the freshman and sophomore class, the majority responded with “yes” when being asked if they recommended another fellow student. They’ve also said that “I recommended my younger siblings” for the upcoming freshman class. We've determined that almost every girl spoken to has recommended another girl to attend or transfer to Comp Sci High. It’s clear most of the reason for more girls attending is through word of mouth, not necessarily an increase in interest in computer science and STEM in general.
Whatever the reasons may be, the increase in girls has seemingly had a positive affect on academic performance. Mr. Berrios says “I think that seeing more young women this year is a telltale sign of a shift we’re seeing with how students that identify as female are actively seeking an interest in STEM-focused fields.” He has also noticed a higher academic bar, a more focused classroom and more readiness from the students than previous years.
Though some people have said that there is a difference in behavior between genders, some teachers don’t think this is the case. When talking to Mr. Carapezza (Mr.C) and Ms. Liani, they brought up some interesting points on showcasing the behavior of the students. There doesn't seem much of a difference between the boys and girls when it comes to teaching a majority boys class and majority girls class. It's mainly determined by the student and their personalities that results on how fluidly the class goes.
In order to keep this trend permanent, we think more action should be taken by the school and students. There should be less intimidation surrounding STEM as a field and more inclusion and interest. Students should continue to encourage their friends and sisters to apply. We see this as a great opportunity for the school to lean into the direction it is going, as it is becoming a place where more girls are willing to challenge themselves.