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Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing
Winner, Education category, 2008 PROSE Awards presented by the Professional/Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers.
The number of African Americans and Latino/as receiving undergraduate and advanced degrees in computer science is disproportionately low, according to recent surveys. And relatively few African American and Latino/a high school students receive the kind of institutional encouragement, educational opportunities, and preparation needed for them to choose computer science as a field of study and profession. In Stuck in the Shallow End, Jane Margolis looks at the daily experiences of students and teachers in three Los Angeles public high an overcrowded urban high school, a math and science magnet school, and a well-funded school in an affluent neighborhood. She finds an insidious "virtual segregation" that maintains inequality.
Two of the three schools studied offer only low-level, how-to (keyboarding, cutting and pasting) introductory computing classes. The third and wealthiest school offers advanced courses, but very few students of color enroll in them. The race gap in computer science, Margolis finds, is one example of the way students of color are denied a wide range of occupational and educational futures. Margolis traces the interplay of school structures (such factors as course offerings and student-to-counselor ratios) and belief systems—including teachers' assumptions about their students and students' assumptions about themselves. Stuck in the Shallow End is a story of how inequality is reproduced in America—and how students and teachers, given the necessary tools, can change the system.
The number of African Americans and Latino/as receiving undergraduate and advanced degrees in computer science is disproportionately low, according to recent surveys. And relatively few African American and Latino/a high school students receive the kind of institutional encouragement, educational opportunities, and preparation needed for them to choose computer science as a field of study and profession. In Stuck in the Shallow End, Jane Margolis looks at the daily experiences of students and teachers in three Los Angeles public high an overcrowded urban high school, a math and science magnet school, and a well-funded school in an affluent neighborhood. She finds an insidious "virtual segregation" that maintains inequality.
Two of the three schools studied offer only low-level, how-to (keyboarding, cutting and pasting) introductory computing classes. The third and wealthiest school offers advanced courses, but very few students of color enroll in them. The race gap in computer science, Margolis finds, is one example of the way students of color are denied a wide range of occupational and educational futures. Margolis traces the interplay of school structures (such factors as course offerings and student-to-counselor ratios) and belief systems—including teachers' assumptions about their students and students' assumptions about themselves. Stuck in the Shallow End is a story of how inequality is reproduced in America—and how students and teachers, given the necessary tools, can change the system.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
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March 1, 2015
Stuck In The Shallow End is a non-fiction book based on a research project about how flaws in our American education system hinder many students of ethnic and racial minority heritage from accessing quality education in the area of computing and technology. This is an appropriate read for anyone who has any stake at all in our public school system.
To explain the title, the book opens with some history about how racism and Jim Crow laws prevented African-Americans from using public swimming pools. We learn how the effects of this discrimination have been handed down through generations and are present today with many fewer African-Americans having learned how to swim or participating in competitive swimming. The author explains how a similar phenomenon is occurring now with computer science education and employment being reserved for whites and Asians. African-American and Hispanic students have been marginalized and effectively stuck in the shallow end of the pool of computer science curriculum. Many have been prevented from really learning how to “swim” in the field because they have no access to the deep waters necessary to fully acquire the higher order thinking skills necessary to master computer science.
The author and a team of researchers spent several years researching barriers that many minority students face to obtaining an education in computer science in the Los Angeles high school system. We are introduced to many students and hear their first-hand accounts of how they are left out of meaningful learning in the area of computer science. Research efforts consisted of, focus groups and interviews with students, teachers and school administrators. A great deal of qualitative research was gained and used to understand issues that cannot be explained by simply examining data. In addition, demographic data involving race, ethnicity, household income and parental education levels was collected and analyzed. Comparisons of available technology and computer science classes offered were made between schools with high proportions of minority and lower income students and those with high proportions of white and higher income students.
The conclusions are heartbreaking and angering. As Ms. Margolis states, “…students in low resourced schools are being denied an avenue out of the shallow end of learning” (125). Assumptions about why African-American and Hispanic students don’t pursue education or careers in computer science are challenged and stereotypes are broken. Ms. Margolis digs into these assumptions and finds other forces at work. She presents questions about whether providing the computers, without access to high quality curriculum satisfies the appearance of equality, while actually widening the digital divide. Are we relegating lower-resourced, minority students to remedial tasks while the so called “science” aspect is left to the “best and the brightest”? And, are the “best and the brightest” really just the “blessed and the privileged” (137)?
To explain the title, the book opens with some history about how racism and Jim Crow laws prevented African-Americans from using public swimming pools. We learn how the effects of this discrimination have been handed down through generations and are present today with many fewer African-Americans having learned how to swim or participating in competitive swimming. The author explains how a similar phenomenon is occurring now with computer science education and employment being reserved for whites and Asians. African-American and Hispanic students have been marginalized and effectively stuck in the shallow end of the pool of computer science curriculum. Many have been prevented from really learning how to “swim” in the field because they have no access to the deep waters necessary to fully acquire the higher order thinking skills necessary to master computer science.
The author and a team of researchers spent several years researching barriers that many minority students face to obtaining an education in computer science in the Los Angeles high school system. We are introduced to many students and hear their first-hand accounts of how they are left out of meaningful learning in the area of computer science. Research efforts consisted of, focus groups and interviews with students, teachers and school administrators. A great deal of qualitative research was gained and used to understand issues that cannot be explained by simply examining data. In addition, demographic data involving race, ethnicity, household income and parental education levels was collected and analyzed. Comparisons of available technology and computer science classes offered were made between schools with high proportions of minority and lower income students and those with high proportions of white and higher income students.
The conclusions are heartbreaking and angering. As Ms. Margolis states, “…students in low resourced schools are being denied an avenue out of the shallow end of learning” (125). Assumptions about why African-American and Hispanic students don’t pursue education or careers in computer science are challenged and stereotypes are broken. Ms. Margolis digs into these assumptions and finds other forces at work. She presents questions about whether providing the computers, without access to high quality curriculum satisfies the appearance of equality, while actually widening the digital divide. Are we relegating lower-resourced, minority students to remedial tasks while the so called “science” aspect is left to the “best and the brightest”? And, are the “best and the brightest” really just the “blessed and the privileged” (137)?
July 10, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book, especially since I see band-aid or foggy mirror-type fixes in education often. However, I wish this book had an action plan to solve education equity once and for all, but I know this piece of the puzzle will help nevertheless!
December 10, 2014
A very real look at education, race, and computing which reveals the unsavory truth of separate and unequal education.
June 14, 2020
Good book for current and prospective computer science teachers. Very relevant ideas about finding ways to support social economically challenged students in Computer Science.
October 31, 2017
Stuck in the Shallow End, is a nonfiction book, which looks at a study by Jane Margolis and Allen Fisher. “Out of the loop: why are so few underrepresented minority high school students learning computer science”, took place from 2001 to 2003. Following three Los Angeles area high schools with a population of predominately African American and Latino students. East River, Westward, and Canyon each having varies amounts of technology, but not classes specifically in the areas of computer science. The purpose was to find the disparities students of color encounter that keep them from access of computer science knowledge.
The author, Jane Margolis, looks at this history of African American people in this country, connecting high drowning rates due to segregation of swimming pools, during the Jim Crow era. This book does a great job of bringing in information of the past treatments of African American people throughout history. Connecting the shallow end into the way Black people were left behind in places deemed whites only. The title, “Stuck in the Shallow End”, leads readers to imagine sitting there in the shallow end, looking out into the water on a hot day. Knowing you cannot risk going out in the deep. The authors say, “The history of swimming foreshadows an interaction of factors (structural norms and belief systems) that are related to the underrepresentation in computer science” (p.139) such as swimming pools during the Jim Crow era of the 1960’s, leaving black swimmers or learners to play catch up alongside white peers, with drowning rates three times that of white youths.
Even after Jim crow, African American communities and schools were left with unequal resources, The Schools in these communities are often underfunded, as in the case of East River high school, which is overcrowded and over funded, while canyon has the highest budget of the three schools, they also face that fact that budget shortfalls continue, while, a high school with the higher population of white students are equipped with a 3.5-million-dollar pool. These are clear cases of unequal resources; however, it is the bias that the author mentions that is the most insightful point that she makes to add up the disparities. The beliefs about African American’s physical and mental capacity. Where just like in swimming, which spread the belief though generations that African American people were sinkers because of their bone density, there was also a belief passed down through generations that they didn’t have the mental compacity or awareness to be mangers or that they could handle higher up jobs in other sports, such as baseball, where even reputable coaches like Al Campanis could go on a national television show like Nightline and assert that “they may not have some of the necessities to be a field manager or perhaps a general manager”(cited in Wilhelm1987)”(pg.22) when asked his thoughts on why there were so few African American managers. Margolis leads a path between how these misrepresentations have carried on into other areas, like education and later into subjects like computer science. Having left out poor and minority students, computer science programs are in a large part segregated to white or Asian males, leaving out women and men of color. The presumption being that computer science and interest in technology are a matter of choice., the bias being that they are uncapable or uninterested, not denied access to quality learning opportunities
I think that this book is a very easy read for those interested in working with youth. Teachers in all areas can learn how many core subjects hold these bias against people of color. Looking at these studies are important to learn how to teach people from other backgrounds.
The author, Jane Margolis, looks at this history of African American people in this country, connecting high drowning rates due to segregation of swimming pools, during the Jim Crow era. This book does a great job of bringing in information of the past treatments of African American people throughout history. Connecting the shallow end into the way Black people were left behind in places deemed whites only. The title, “Stuck in the Shallow End”, leads readers to imagine sitting there in the shallow end, looking out into the water on a hot day. Knowing you cannot risk going out in the deep. The authors say, “The history of swimming foreshadows an interaction of factors (structural norms and belief systems) that are related to the underrepresentation in computer science” (p.139) such as swimming pools during the Jim Crow era of the 1960’s, leaving black swimmers or learners to play catch up alongside white peers, with drowning rates three times that of white youths.
Even after Jim crow, African American communities and schools were left with unequal resources, The Schools in these communities are often underfunded, as in the case of East River high school, which is overcrowded and over funded, while canyon has the highest budget of the three schools, they also face that fact that budget shortfalls continue, while, a high school with the higher population of white students are equipped with a 3.5-million-dollar pool. These are clear cases of unequal resources; however, it is the bias that the author mentions that is the most insightful point that she makes to add up the disparities. The beliefs about African American’s physical and mental capacity. Where just like in swimming, which spread the belief though generations that African American people were sinkers because of their bone density, there was also a belief passed down through generations that they didn’t have the mental compacity or awareness to be mangers or that they could handle higher up jobs in other sports, such as baseball, where even reputable coaches like Al Campanis could go on a national television show like Nightline and assert that “they may not have some of the necessities to be a field manager or perhaps a general manager”(cited in Wilhelm1987)”(pg.22) when asked his thoughts on why there were so few African American managers. Margolis leads a path between how these misrepresentations have carried on into other areas, like education and later into subjects like computer science. Having left out poor and minority students, computer science programs are in a large part segregated to white or Asian males, leaving out women and men of color. The presumption being that computer science and interest in technology are a matter of choice., the bias being that they are uncapable or uninterested, not denied access to quality learning opportunities
I think that this book is a very easy read for those interested in working with youth. Teachers in all areas can learn how many core subjects hold these bias against people of color. Looking at these studies are important to learn how to teach people from other backgrounds.
March 3, 2021
Stuck in the Shallow End happened to be more of a generic read for me as I personally feel that I can sense the prevalence of inequality that exist today. Though I found the read a bit generic, I did not find it displeasing. The way the book was presented places scenarios for the reader to walk through and gives them a sense of what is going on. The book was far from exciting but did well in its effort to highlight its purpose.
The book does well in helping the reader visualize the struggles of African American and Latino high school students. Margolis makes it obvious, from both the title and the progression that the book takes. Most do not have the opportunity to receive higher forms of education. With the addition of comparing 3 different kinds of schools, the reader can easily see the dramatic differences that lie between all of them. Essentially the schools can be labeled like a low, medium, high ratio. Low, being a standard public high school. Medium, being a school that focuses on math and science. High, being a prestigious school, high end private formatted. The book does delve into one very important school subject, computer science. Contrasting the difference between the highlighted students, students of color, and the other students from the stems of which schools they go too. Using the knowledge of computer science as a tool of measurement. Also showing that the most prestigious school with the most advance forms of learning computer sciences contains little to no students of African American or Latino descent. In some sort of way, the author colorizes and emphasizes the lack of opportunity that exist for students of color. Reiterating the existence of inequality that is still present today. But the book does take a turn and offers solutions that may help change the current education system.
Overall, as previously said I found the book very generic. I do believe it is because I do consider myself a student of color and have experienced similar experiences to those of the colored group. The existence of inequality will always be overbearing but it is nice to see the experience referred to a niche subject. We currently live in a world where it is almost necessary to know computer work, one could say it can be like knowing a language.
The limitations that help teach these students of color really does make or break their opportunities in life and I do agree with the concept that there should be solutions in place to help with learning. The book does great showing what it is like being in the situation of students with limits. The solutions to these existing problems are still in question as a fast progression to solve these issues is unlikely. The existence of inequality will always make situations like this hard to overcome.
The book does well in helping the reader visualize the struggles of African American and Latino high school students. Margolis makes it obvious, from both the title and the progression that the book takes. Most do not have the opportunity to receive higher forms of education. With the addition of comparing 3 different kinds of schools, the reader can easily see the dramatic differences that lie between all of them. Essentially the schools can be labeled like a low, medium, high ratio. Low, being a standard public high school. Medium, being a school that focuses on math and science. High, being a prestigious school, high end private formatted. The book does delve into one very important school subject, computer science. Contrasting the difference between the highlighted students, students of color, and the other students from the stems of which schools they go too. Using the knowledge of computer science as a tool of measurement. Also showing that the most prestigious school with the most advance forms of learning computer sciences contains little to no students of African American or Latino descent. In some sort of way, the author colorizes and emphasizes the lack of opportunity that exist for students of color. Reiterating the existence of inequality that is still present today. But the book does take a turn and offers solutions that may help change the current education system.
Overall, as previously said I found the book very generic. I do believe it is because I do consider myself a student of color and have experienced similar experiences to those of the colored group. The existence of inequality will always be overbearing but it is nice to see the experience referred to a niche subject. We currently live in a world where it is almost necessary to know computer work, one could say it can be like knowing a language.
The limitations that help teach these students of color really does make or break their opportunities in life and I do agree with the concept that there should be solutions in place to help with learning. The book does great showing what it is like being in the situation of students with limits. The solutions to these existing problems are still in question as a fast progression to solve these issues is unlikely. The existence of inequality will always make situations like this hard to overcome.
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September 26, 2019When I started Stuck in the Shallow End, I hoped that it would add some insights into how we can get more minorities into computing, both by getting into careers like software development and support, and also by enabling more people to make the most effective use of modern technology. It did that but unfortunately, I had also been hoping for an academic treatment and I felt like this book didn't cover those questions with sufficient depth and rigor.
Stuck in the Shallow End discusses a few schools with varying levels of wealth and privilege and varying racial compositions. It discusses a variety of obstacles to offering sophisticated computing classes: lack of teachers, stereotyped expectations, and high demands from standardized testing, among others.
I would say I had a vague sense throughout the book that fundamental questions went unanswered. AP Computer Science is the class they use as a bellwether for rigorous CS classes that aren't typing, but is it really the best way to make CS accessible and meaningful to an early student? (Judging from my experience, probably not.) Does it make sense to bemoan standardized testing in one segment and then focus on expanding a class that teaches entirely to a standardized test? Even when CS classes of one kind or another can be taught, are they the primary driver of employment/future college aspirations, any more so than another elective class? What makes a CS classroom experience valuable, and is it more or less valuable than, for example, networks connecting minority students to software companies? (As someone who took CS classes I think this is a question worth addressing.)
To the author's credit, they do talk about some of these issues. The classes they end up creating as a result of their activism (www.exploringcs.org) sound less rote and more valuable than pure APs, for example.
For what it is, if you don't know how education works outside of the school you grew up in, this book is at least an eye-opener. But I had a hope they would do an evidence-based, rigorous analysis of what computing education should look like for the LA school districts they studied, why it didn't look that way, what the impact was, and what potential solutions look like. I understand that this isn't meant to be a statistical study, but I felt that the authors were too quick to focus in on specific problems, and I finished wanting far a more, err, dialectical approach.
Stuck in the Shallow End discusses a few schools with varying levels of wealth and privilege and varying racial compositions. It discusses a variety of obstacles to offering sophisticated computing classes: lack of teachers, stereotyped expectations, and high demands from standardized testing, among others.
I would say I had a vague sense throughout the book that fundamental questions went unanswered. AP Computer Science is the class they use as a bellwether for rigorous CS classes that aren't typing, but is it really the best way to make CS accessible and meaningful to an early student? (Judging from my experience, probably not.) Does it make sense to bemoan standardized testing in one segment and then focus on expanding a class that teaches entirely to a standardized test? Even when CS classes of one kind or another can be taught, are they the primary driver of employment/future college aspirations, any more so than another elective class? What makes a CS classroom experience valuable, and is it more or less valuable than, for example, networks connecting minority students to software companies? (As someone who took CS classes I think this is a question worth addressing.)
To the author's credit, they do talk about some of these issues. The classes they end up creating as a result of their activism (www.exploringcs.org) sound less rote and more valuable than pure APs, for example.
For what it is, if you don't know how education works outside of the school you grew up in, this book is at least an eye-opener. But I had a hope they would do an evidence-based, rigorous analysis of what computing education should look like for the LA school districts they studied, why it didn't look that way, what the impact was, and what potential solutions look like. I understand that this isn't meant to be a statistical study, but I felt that the authors were too quick to focus in on specific problems, and I finished wanting far a more, err, dialectical approach.
March 6, 2021
The book can be quite repetitive, but it does offer three important insights into the racial gap in computing knowledge:
1) Oftentimes districts conflate computer science with digital literacy. In poorer districts and districts that serve mainly Latino/a and Black students, "computer science" are actually digital literacy courses focused primarily on cut-and-paste type skills.
2) Technology is not a silver bullet for education equity. Providing computers does not solve the problem of lack of enriching curriculum, qualified teachers, and meaningful professional development in computer science. In fact, with computer access alone, the educational gap remains the same and can even widen as students at schools with these necessary supporting resources get further ahead.
3) Interrupting and counteracting bias and deficit-thinking in educators and school leaders will go a long way to bring access to computer science to students of color. Incorrect and biased views that students of color wouldn't be interested in or lack the skills to study computer science stop schools from offering computer science courses in the first place, but interest comes from opportunity, and schools must first offer these courses and explain their benefit and broad-reaching applications of computer science before drawing the conclusion that there is no interest.
1) Oftentimes districts conflate computer science with digital literacy. In poorer districts and districts that serve mainly Latino/a and Black students, "computer science" are actually digital literacy courses focused primarily on cut-and-paste type skills.
2) Technology is not a silver bullet for education equity. Providing computers does not solve the problem of lack of enriching curriculum, qualified teachers, and meaningful professional development in computer science. In fact, with computer access alone, the educational gap remains the same and can even widen as students at schools with these necessary supporting resources get further ahead.
3) Interrupting and counteracting bias and deficit-thinking in educators and school leaders will go a long way to bring access to computer science to students of color. Incorrect and biased views that students of color wouldn't be interested in or lack the skills to study computer science stop schools from offering computer science courses in the first place, but interest comes from opportunity, and schools must first offer these courses and explain their benefit and broad-reaching applications of computer science before drawing the conclusion that there is no interest.
December 24, 2020
Eye-opening and demoralizing. Infuriating and depressing in turns. A must read for anyone interested in computer science education. A broader commentary on the state of secondary, especially STEM, education. A wake up call.
April 25, 2021
Everyone should read this! Every teacher MUST read this!
February 29, 2016
This book looks at different reasons of why students of color are not making into the advance computer science classes during high school. It also discusses how Society is not investing enough resources to students of color, especially for student to take more computer classes. The book provides examples for educators, policy makers and administrators to better understand varies issues related to the core problem.
The book looks at three case studies of a predominately Hispanic school district, a highly technological school where the majority are African American students, and the third being a school in a wealthy and white community where the students are predominately white students. The purpose is to understand the extent of high school students (especially students of color) becoming computer science majors in college. The authors conducted various research within these schools that evaluated many reasons why students of color are not mostly likely to advance in computer science.
The author had a lot of research and tied supporting arguments from other researchers. However, the book told a story – so it was an easy and interesting read without getting too caught up in the boredom of statistics and data. The author described the three schools in enough detail that you could actually picture the schools, the teachers and the students.
I found that the problem is both systemic and individual in why students of color don’t pursue computing classes in high school and in their future.
One of the issues seem to be that there are not enough computer type classes to engage student who are coming from limited income and of different ethnicities. An example, because of limited funding is when a school decides that spending time and money on standardized testing is more important than computer classes. In addition, there are not enough qualified (expert) teachers to teach advanced computer courses. It seemed that the schools had the actual computers, but not the expertise or time allocation to teach advanced computer and technology course.
Especially for schools which have a high numbers students of color many of the resources are used for basic skills in reading, writing, and math and very little room for taking any extra courses in computing. Another key issue seems to be the assumption that for students who are English language learners need to spend an inordinate time of learning English or ‘getting better’ at English language. Thus the students continue to be left out of opportunities to experience computer classes.
There is an Individual attitude issue as well. For some students of color there are attitudes of ‘it’s not for me’ or ‘that for the other guys’ when it comes to computers. It seems like an opportunity gap for students – the lack of role models and limited to exposure to computer and technology.
“Historically, students who have been excluded from the brain work are students of color and recent immigrants – a trend that can be traced to the end of the nineteenth and the start of twentieth centuries.” The author continued to mention that “there is a belief about the potential of different social and ethnic groups” (p. 41). This illustrates the assumption that the student of color can’t handle it.
In conclusion, the answer in having more students of color entering computer science type majors in college – is more than making just systemic changes of providing expert teaching, improving computer resources and offering opportunities. The findings show that changing attitudes and belief systems, having a climate of acceptance and shifting expectation that computer technology be a normal and natural career pathway for students of color. Also, many students who were interviewed during this study stated one of the reasons of why they don’t go into advanced computer classes is because many times they felt doubted by their teachers, peers, or felt isolated and or were never told such classes existed by their counselors or teachers even if the school had such resources available. This again contributes to the beliefs system that students of color cannot handle this kind of work, or are not interested in computers etc. This belief of thinking students of color are not interested, or are not bright enough to handle brain work leaves students left out. If one never gets the exposure to something that would be beneficial to their future how would she/he ever discover? especially when these students only way to discover themselves is through their education. Most of them are coming from low socioeconomic status where having early access to computer is very low. I believe the doubt of the education system and the doubt of their own selves is a major hold back for these students.
The book looks at three case studies of a predominately Hispanic school district, a highly technological school where the majority are African American students, and the third being a school in a wealthy and white community where the students are predominately white students. The purpose is to understand the extent of high school students (especially students of color) becoming computer science majors in college. The authors conducted various research within these schools that evaluated many reasons why students of color are not mostly likely to advance in computer science.
The author had a lot of research and tied supporting arguments from other researchers. However, the book told a story – so it was an easy and interesting read without getting too caught up in the boredom of statistics and data. The author described the three schools in enough detail that you could actually picture the schools, the teachers and the students.
I found that the problem is both systemic and individual in why students of color don’t pursue computing classes in high school and in their future.
One of the issues seem to be that there are not enough computer type classes to engage student who are coming from limited income and of different ethnicities. An example, because of limited funding is when a school decides that spending time and money on standardized testing is more important than computer classes. In addition, there are not enough qualified (expert) teachers to teach advanced computer courses. It seemed that the schools had the actual computers, but not the expertise or time allocation to teach advanced computer and technology course.
Especially for schools which have a high numbers students of color many of the resources are used for basic skills in reading, writing, and math and very little room for taking any extra courses in computing. Another key issue seems to be the assumption that for students who are English language learners need to spend an inordinate time of learning English or ‘getting better’ at English language. Thus the students continue to be left out of opportunities to experience computer classes.
There is an Individual attitude issue as well. For some students of color there are attitudes of ‘it’s not for me’ or ‘that for the other guys’ when it comes to computers. It seems like an opportunity gap for students – the lack of role models and limited to exposure to computer and technology.
“Historically, students who have been excluded from the brain work are students of color and recent immigrants – a trend that can be traced to the end of the nineteenth and the start of twentieth centuries.” The author continued to mention that “there is a belief about the potential of different social and ethnic groups” (p. 41). This illustrates the assumption that the student of color can’t handle it.
In conclusion, the answer in having more students of color entering computer science type majors in college – is more than making just systemic changes of providing expert teaching, improving computer resources and offering opportunities. The findings show that changing attitudes and belief systems, having a climate of acceptance and shifting expectation that computer technology be a normal and natural career pathway for students of color. Also, many students who were interviewed during this study stated one of the reasons of why they don’t go into advanced computer classes is because many times they felt doubted by their teachers, peers, or felt isolated and or were never told such classes existed by their counselors or teachers even if the school had such resources available. This again contributes to the beliefs system that students of color cannot handle this kind of work, or are not interested in computers etc. This belief of thinking students of color are not interested, or are not bright enough to handle brain work leaves students left out. If one never gets the exposure to something that would be beneficial to their future how would she/he ever discover? especially when these students only way to discover themselves is through their education. Most of them are coming from low socioeconomic status where having early access to computer is very low. I believe the doubt of the education system and the doubt of their own selves is a major hold back for these students.
October 10, 2016
Stuck in the Shallow End is a non-fiction account of a study conducted in 2001 by author, Jane Margolis and a team of researchers. The title of the study was “Out of the Loop: Why Are So Few Underrepresented Minority High School Students Learning Computer Science?” It was conducted over a three-year period in three California schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The study examined the disparities in computer science education for African American and Latino students.
The title, Stuck in the Shallow End is a clever reference to swimming. The authors say, “The history of swimming foreshadows an interaction of factors (structural norms and belief systems) that are related to the underrepresentation in computer science” (139). African American children are three times more likely than white children to drown while swimming. In comparison to swimming, computer science education has been a segregated activity. The book states that just 8 percent of bachelor’s degrees and 4 percent of master’s degrees in computer science were awarded to African American and Latino students in 2006 (6). Like swimming, lives are at risk as too many young people find themselves “stuck in the shallow end” in educational and career opportunities.
The book follows three schools, East River, Westward, and Canyon in the LAUSD. The schools range in economic positions with East River being overcrowded and underfunded and Canyon being wealthiest in resources. Accounts of the individual experiences at each school are greatly articulated. It is easy to visualize the schools and empathize with the students and faculty of each institution.
Overall, I thought the book was well written and highly informative. However, it was not an easy read for me. The findings of the study were outlined in the introduction. Therefore, I didn’t necessarily have to read the entire book to know what the conclusion of the study was. It wasn’t a page turner for me, possibly because I am not an educator and I have no interest in computer science. However, I was compelled by the comparison between swimming and the gaps in computer science education. The books details that the belief that black people don’t swim stems from the violent, historic past of segregation in the 1900s. Belief systems fueled by the segregated history of America are passed down from generation to generation and contribute to the gaps that currently exist in activities like swimming and in education. There is a current belief that African Americans and Latinos don’t want to learn complex subjects like computer science and that students of color are more fit to be educated in occupational trades. This was also compelling for me. The book does an excellent job of outlining these belief systems and articulating how they impact the way teachers educate students.
While this was a tough read for someone that is not an educator or interested in computer science, I realized that this book was an important read. I would recommend this book to anyone that works with students. It definitely educates the educator. It pushes the reader beyond their belief systems and forces the reader to consider the historic patterns that contribute to the gaps in education.
The title, Stuck in the Shallow End is a clever reference to swimming. The authors say, “The history of swimming foreshadows an interaction of factors (structural norms and belief systems) that are related to the underrepresentation in computer science” (139). African American children are three times more likely than white children to drown while swimming. In comparison to swimming, computer science education has been a segregated activity. The book states that just 8 percent of bachelor’s degrees and 4 percent of master’s degrees in computer science were awarded to African American and Latino students in 2006 (6). Like swimming, lives are at risk as too many young people find themselves “stuck in the shallow end” in educational and career opportunities.
The book follows three schools, East River, Westward, and Canyon in the LAUSD. The schools range in economic positions with East River being overcrowded and underfunded and Canyon being wealthiest in resources. Accounts of the individual experiences at each school are greatly articulated. It is easy to visualize the schools and empathize with the students and faculty of each institution.
Overall, I thought the book was well written and highly informative. However, it was not an easy read for me. The findings of the study were outlined in the introduction. Therefore, I didn’t necessarily have to read the entire book to know what the conclusion of the study was. It wasn’t a page turner for me, possibly because I am not an educator and I have no interest in computer science. However, I was compelled by the comparison between swimming and the gaps in computer science education. The books details that the belief that black people don’t swim stems from the violent, historic past of segregation in the 1900s. Belief systems fueled by the segregated history of America are passed down from generation to generation and contribute to the gaps that currently exist in activities like swimming and in education. There is a current belief that African Americans and Latinos don’t want to learn complex subjects like computer science and that students of color are more fit to be educated in occupational trades. This was also compelling for me. The book does an excellent job of outlining these belief systems and articulating how they impact the way teachers educate students.
While this was a tough read for someone that is not an educator or interested in computer science, I realized that this book was an important read. I would recommend this book to anyone that works with students. It definitely educates the educator. It pushes the reader beyond their belief systems and forces the reader to consider the historic patterns that contribute to the gaps in education.
July 10, 2017
Holy crap! OK, when I tell people I live in a cave (meaning I'm oblivious to pop culture and so much that goes on in the world), I had no idea just how true that rang after reading this book.
I'm working on a research paper on how to improve intro computer programming classes and came across this book in my search for references. Not to derail by going into the paper, but I also teach intro programming and have been wondering what is wrong. Why does about 30-40% of the class drop or fail? Why are the grades (bimodal) grouped up around two poles A-B or D-F? Imagine my surprise when I find that isn't just true in my little Tech College classroom, but a very common fact in many 4-year colleges as well! I refuse to believe some people get it and some don't, so what are we doing wrong.
In answering that I find that one key area is preparation in HS and confidence in one's abilities to do the work. As someone who isn't the typical white-guy, I figure I had issues to overcome what's the big deal? My school was rather sports focused (football was everything) and despite being near the top of my class, I was surprised at how unprepared I was compared to others. But I worked hard to catch up and went into a field where I was definitely not the norm. So what is stopping others?
Yeah, well, my HS school, as lacking as I may have imagined it, was nothing like those minority heavy schools presented in this book. While I may have faced some issues with people who thought I was somewhat tomboy for my interests, no one would have ever dared to say I was lazy or unmotivated on sight, even though I can think of plenty of reasons that those words could or should have been used. The assumption was always that I would go to college - even though my parents did not. I cannot imagine being in the shoes of some of the students highlighted in this book.
In fact I think my thoughts of "I can do it, why can't they" probably ring true for many who like me are white, but had to work hard to get where they are. However I see now so much that I took for granted. There is so much talk about white-privilege these days, and I thought I had an appreciation for what that meant. Then I read this book. I am appalled by what I now imagine as the schools and background that so many are coming from. I am wounded and hurt by a country that thinks of itself as a world leader and yet could allow this to happen.
I don't know yet how I can help fix this, but I know that somehow I must. For me, this touches my world - computing - which I want to "fix" anyway. However this goes deeper than that. This is wrong on so many levels, and is the root of a problem that goes so far beyond computing. Education is so broken, and it is something we all need to care about fixing.
I'm working on a research paper on how to improve intro computer programming classes and came across this book in my search for references. Not to derail by going into the paper, but I also teach intro programming and have been wondering what is wrong. Why does about 30-40% of the class drop or fail? Why are the grades (bimodal) grouped up around two poles A-B or D-F? Imagine my surprise when I find that isn't just true in my little Tech College classroom, but a very common fact in many 4-year colleges as well! I refuse to believe some people get it and some don't, so what are we doing wrong.
In answering that I find that one key area is preparation in HS and confidence in one's abilities to do the work. As someone who isn't the typical white-guy, I figure I had issues to overcome what's the big deal? My school was rather sports focused (football was everything) and despite being near the top of my class, I was surprised at how unprepared I was compared to others. But I worked hard to catch up and went into a field where I was definitely not the norm. So what is stopping others?
Yeah, well, my HS school, as lacking as I may have imagined it, was nothing like those minority heavy schools presented in this book. While I may have faced some issues with people who thought I was somewhat tomboy for my interests, no one would have ever dared to say I was lazy or unmotivated on sight, even though I can think of plenty of reasons that those words could or should have been used. The assumption was always that I would go to college - even though my parents did not. I cannot imagine being in the shoes of some of the students highlighted in this book.
In fact I think my thoughts of "I can do it, why can't they" probably ring true for many who like me are white, but had to work hard to get where they are. However I see now so much that I took for granted. There is so much talk about white-privilege these days, and I thought I had an appreciation for what that meant. Then I read this book. I am appalled by what I now imagine as the schools and background that so many are coming from. I am wounded and hurt by a country that thinks of itself as a world leader and yet could allow this to happen.
I don't know yet how I can help fix this, but I know that somehow I must. For me, this touches my world - computing - which I want to "fix" anyway. However this goes deeper than that. This is wrong on so many levels, and is the root of a problem that goes so far beyond computing. Education is so broken, and it is something we all need to care about fixing.
December 21, 2014
The title is a metaphor based on a news report that found that children of color are more likely to drown when swimming than white children. This was basically due to much greater participation in summer camps and other enrichment activities that some children have over others. The same lack of exposure to swimming lessons that children of color have also extends to their likelihood to learn how to use computers.
I read this book as part of my class when I began training to teach Exploring Computer Science this past summer. I also attended a conference in Washington DC in December 2014 where the author had a chance to interact with teachers from all over the country struggling to find ways to include (or entice) more female and under represented minorities into computer science classes. The statement I remember most was, "These are the children that won't wake up Christmas morning with a robot under the tree."
In my school, I am the only computer science teacher and just have one section of students. Teachers in surrounding, more affluent communities have several teachers in their departments and a much broader selection of classes for the students to take. Due to my first hand experience, I can understand that the author's study of the situation in the Greater LA school district is likely the same in many parts of our country.
If we want to truly have a more diverse workforce in technology, we need to address the issues that author describes. This is not only critical to the people who would get the classes and facilities they deserve, it would certainly benefit our economy which suffers from a severe lack of qualified software engineers and related professionals.
I read this book as part of my class when I began training to teach Exploring Computer Science this past summer. I also attended a conference in Washington DC in December 2014 where the author had a chance to interact with teachers from all over the country struggling to find ways to include (or entice) more female and under represented minorities into computer science classes. The statement I remember most was, "These are the children that won't wake up Christmas morning with a robot under the tree."
In my school, I am the only computer science teacher and just have one section of students. Teachers in surrounding, more affluent communities have several teachers in their departments and a much broader selection of classes for the students to take. Due to my first hand experience, I can understand that the author's study of the situation in the Greater LA school district is likely the same in many parts of our country.
If we want to truly have a more diverse workforce in technology, we need to address the issues that author describes. This is not only critical to the people who would get the classes and facilities they deserve, it would certainly benefit our economy which suffers from a severe lack of qualified software engineers and related professionals.
December 10, 2014
Generally very informative for those who are interested in closing equality gaps across the board. I think this would be a great read for educators and an especially good read for computer science students in high schools, who will be able to more clearly perceive their situation, why it is the case, and how administrators might do something about it. I consider computer science to be an important part of enabling further critiques of governments that might think they are reducing inequalities in government run institutions when in reality their policies are reinforcing it. Students should have the tools and the methods of thinking to evaluate the abundance of school systems data that can revel to them the impacts of policy and demonstrate their efficacy or inefficacy. This book, and this study, in the hands of well-meaning educators and students alike, could start discussions about how to change things from the ground up, either through diversifying class composition and learning themes in the classroom or demanding policy change.
I think it would have been useful for the authors to create a better understanding of why computer science is important and how it pervades different kinds of sciences, especially if this book is meant to inspire change, not just pain a bleak picture of the current situation. I think the scope of possibility for those who can think algortihmically is almost overwhelming, and for anyone reading this book would provide further reason to demand institutional change and more focus on real computer science being taught in an equiable fashion K-12 in the US.
I think it would have been useful for the authors to create a better understanding of why computer science is important and how it pervades different kinds of sciences, especially if this book is meant to inspire change, not just pain a bleak picture of the current situation. I think the scope of possibility for those who can think algortihmically is almost overwhelming, and for anyone reading this book would provide further reason to demand institutional change and more focus on real computer science being taught in an equiable fashion K-12 in the US.
July 30, 2009
This was a fascinating book on several levels. It covered three case studies in the Los Angeles Unified School District involving teaching computing in high school. It examined which students took computing classes, what classes were available, and how they were taught. It's an excellent book to show both how and why case studies are useful in evaluation. But its conclusions are even more important: computing is not being taught well in our classrooms, even though as a nation we "recognise" that computing should be taught. And where computing is taught - and, at times, well - the population being served is not Latino/a, African American, or female.
The conclusions are thoughtful and well balanced. It is not simply a lack of resources. It is also a lack of understanding (of the importance of computing, how to teach computing, and the bureaucracy of public education (where "computing" is not "math" or "science" and therefore is an "elective"); and, worst of all, the lack of computing "literacy" (a la scientific literacy) that puts students behind. Add to that the lack of recognition in our own selves of the stereotypes we perpetuate without even thinking about it - the analogy the book's title alludes to is the segregation of public swimming pools and the long-lasting effects this has had on African American achievement in swimming sports - and you are left with a matter-of-fact little gem of a book that manages to cover a lot of bases in a straightforward way that is informative and interesting.
The conclusions are thoughtful and well balanced. It is not simply a lack of resources. It is also a lack of understanding (of the importance of computing, how to teach computing, and the bureaucracy of public education (where "computing" is not "math" or "science" and therefore is an "elective"); and, worst of all, the lack of computing "literacy" (a la scientific literacy) that puts students behind. Add to that the lack of recognition in our own selves of the stereotypes we perpetuate without even thinking about it - the analogy the book's title alludes to is the segregation of public swimming pools and the long-lasting effects this has had on African American achievement in swimming sports - and you are left with a matter-of-fact little gem of a book that manages to cover a lot of bases in a straightforward way that is informative and interesting.
December 28, 2016
This book focuses on Jane Margolis' research on the causes of low percentages of Hispanic and black students in Computer Science. Being Hispanic, I did not expect this book to surprise me with any truths it'd expose. Unfortunately, it highlighted structural, historical, and cultural constraints that have prevented (and continue to prevent) blacks and Hispanic/Latin@s from truly engaging with CS. The quotes, anecdotes, and research findings are as heartbreaking as they are a call to action. It's not an easy problem to solve, but by bringing this issues to light I think this book can be helpful both to those trying to address the issues, and to those who continue to (unknowingly) perpetuate these problems in the industry.
May 18, 2017
Great book! Those who work with computers or are in education need to read this study. Often, we consider technology the "silver bullet" that will elevate the disadvantaged out into a world of possibility, but this two-year study claims that this rarely happens. There are specific reasons why and in order for change to occur, a multi-faceted, systemic approach must address the issues locally.
January 31, 2013
Valuable research, though now outdated. Still some excellent, interesting insights into race and computing in education. Wish it had been a bit more accessible of a read.
July 1, 2013
An important book to read about race in computer science education. They go through a few very compelling examples, but the book gets a bit redundant to read.
March 6, 2014
Depressing, disturbing and eye-opening look at race in CS education
September 21, 2023
I loved this book even though it tells a sad story that needs addressing-the digital divide in Los Angeles.
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