If you weren’t at the Madison Renaissance Hotel yesterday morning, you missed out. Author Jane Margolis and local innovator Trish Millines Dziko both gave fabulous talks on what it means to address and close the technology achievement gap. But, fear not, we’ve got the entire scoop for you right here.

Jane kicked off the morning by sharing her story of studying technology access at three Los Angeles high schools. At each school, she found that minority students rarely received the encouragement, educational opportunities and preparation necessary to pursue and succeed in advanced computer science courses or postsecondary degrees.

The first two schools offered only low-level, introductory computer classes (cutting and pasting, keyboarding, etc.). Many of the students in these schools did not have access to computers at home and were not even aware of the problem solving, web design and computer programming skills covered by higher-level courses at other schools. While the third, a charter school, offered an advanced computer science class, but very few minorities and females enrolled. 

Through her analysis, Jane uncovered several factors that impede minority students’ participation and success in advanced computer science courses:

• The students’ own lack of familiarity, confidence with and exposure to higher-level computing skills;
• Teachers’ and guidance counselors’ assumptions about students of color, which often lead to those students not being encouraged to enroll in advanced computer science courses;
• And, lack of support from principals and district leaders to provide the teacher training, resources and leadership necessary to ensure advanced computer science classes are offered in schools, and that minority students are encouraged to participate.

To tackle these challenges, Jane enlisted UCLA to help a design professional development institute for LA teachers, counselors, principals and district leaders, aimed at increasing minority students’ enrollment in computer science courses. 

The results were dramatic: “After two years of the training, the number of LA high schools offering computer science increased from 12 to 23 schools, tripling the number of students enrolled from 225 students to 619,” said Jane. “But the biggest gains were made by underrepresented groups. Latino enrollment quadrupled. African-American enrollment doubled and female participation doubled.

But what about Washington state?

Sure, Jane’s work closing the tech gap in LA is fabulous, but—as with most things (coffee, rain gear, driving habits)—Washington has its own style and its own innovator: Trish Millines Dziko. We’ve written about Trish before and about her success founding the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) Academy in Federal Way, but it was wonderful to spend the latter part of the morning digging deeper into the methods she used to develop the TAF Academy.

As it turns out, Trish’s philosophy behind TAF—that students should drive their own education—came from a very specific place (witnessing an 11 year-old Brooklyn student give directions on an inner-city bus) and is easier said than done.

“We’re not quite there,” said Trish. “But soon, when we get to the project-based learning sweet-spot, I think there will come a day where you enter a TAF classroom and you won’t be able to tell the teachers from the students.”

TAF might not be there for the moment, but they are already way ahead of most schools in empowering students to take control of their own learning (tech and otherwise). This year’s TAF 6th graders picked and designed the school’s mascot and the 7th graders designed the academy’s planner. Many are also on their way to developing long-term learning plans for themselves and their classes, at large.

But perhaps Trish and TAF’s biggest win has been the ability to carve out flexibility within the Federal Way school system: TAF can now jointly hire and appoint teachers, principals and learning coaches that are truly committed to facilitating all students through their self-directed learning journeys.

This may only be TAF Academy’s first year, but, with Trish’s laser-like focus on closing the technology achievement gap and putting students at the center of every decision, we expect great things coming out of this school soon.

To learn more about Jane Margolis’ work visit her UCLA website. And, to learn more about Trish Millines Dziko’s work and the TAF Academy, visit TAF’s website.