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Foxcroft 1 of Only 14 Schools in Virginia to Earn AP CSP Female Diversity Award

Foxcroft 1 of Only 14 Schools in Virginia to Earn AP CSP Female Diversity Award

Foxcroft is 1 of just 14 schools in Virginia to earn the prestigious College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) during the 2023-24 academic year.

“Our students’ broad participation in Computer Science has helped grow other programs at Foxcroft, including eSports, the FIRST Tech Robotics Challenge, the Hour of Code, and several Computer Science-focused concentration projects,” shared Innovation Lab Director (and AP CSP teacher) Alex Northrup. 

This is the sixth time since 2018 that Foxcroft has received an AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Schools receiving the Award have 50% or higher female representation in either AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) or AP Computer Science A (AP CSA), or a percentage of the female computer science examinees meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population.  

“Role models matter," said Head of School Cathy S. McGehee, “and we encourage our students to take computer science each year so they might make a difference in a field where women continue to be underrepresented. If younger girls see older girls working in technology, they believe they can do it too. Congratulations to our AP Computer Science students and their outstanding teachers!”

Foxcroft is fully committed to delivering a STEM program that inspires girls to pursue studies in fields where women are underrepresented, as evidenced by the School’s construction of the Mars STEAM Wing, which will open in 2025-26 with state-of-the-art equipment and spaces that reflect best practices for teaching girls the way they learn best.

The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $100,530 in May 2022. However, women represent just 24% of the five million people in computing occupations. Providing female students with access to computer science courses is necessary to ensure gender parity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and representation. 

Research from the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) shows that attending an all-girls school strengthens interest and success in STEM fields. Specifically, in math and computer skills, girls’ school graduates rate confidence in their abilities at least 10% higher than their co-educated counterparts. 

According to a Google study, 54% of female computer science majors took AP CSA in high school. College Board research also finds AP CSP students are nearly twice as likely to enroll in AP CSA and that for most students, AP CSP serves as a stepping stone to other advanced AP STEM coursework.