This project will promote computer equity for girls in middle school. The first phase of the project will develop training materials that will enable school district computer coordinators to conduct faculty workshops on computer equity and to guide the implementation of computer equity strategies in schools in their districts. These strategies are based on the premise that the best way to interest girls in computers is to introduce them first to elementary applications, such as word-processing and computer graphics, and then to lead them to higher-level uses. The training materials will consist of a workshop Leader's Guide, a two-hour workshop that discusses the causes of the "computer gender gap" and summarizes strategies for closing it, and a three-hour workshop that examines these strategies in detail and develops a specific program for the participants' school. In the second phase of the project, these materials will be pilot-tested in four school districts in New York State. A computer coordinator and an administrator from each district will first attend a two-day training session that will prepare the computer coordinators to conduct the two workshops for teachers in their districts. Each test school will then develop and implement its own computer equity program. The project will be evaluated by its impact on girls' interest and achievement in mathematics, science, and computer science. Data will be collected about voluntary computer use by boys and girls and about enrollments in elective courses in mathematics, science, and computer science. The Women's Action Alliance and the participating school districts are contributing an amount in cost-sharing that is equal to 26% of the NSF award.
