Florida and College Board dispute gender and sexuality content in AP Psychology course.

Florida Clashes with College Board Over Gender and Sexuality Content in AP Psychology Course

Florida found itself in a heated dispute with the College Board this week regarding the inclusion of gender and sexuality content in the Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology course. Concerned about potential violations of Florida’s new school content restrictions, some school districts raised objections.

The College Board, responsible for running 40 AP courses and the SAT, firmly stated on Thursday that it would not alter its AP courses for Florida. In a statement, the organization emphasized its commitment to teaching essential, college-level topics and expressed its refusal to compromise on this principle.

“We will not modify our courses to accommodate restrictions on teaching essential, college-level topics. Doing so would break the fundamental promise of AP,” the College Board stated.

The College Board stressed that gender and sexuality must remain required topics, as they have been in Florida for many years. Expressing their disappointment at the possibility of Florida students being unable to take AP Psychology due to the state’s restrictions, the College Board also announced that it would not sign an “assurance document” being developed by Florida’s Department of Education regarding the AP courses.

In April, Florida’s education department implemented restrictions on how gender, sexuality, and racial topics can be taught from kindergarten through 12th grade. Previously, these topics were only banned through third grade.

The AP Psychology course includes a unit on “gender and sexual orientation,” which asks students to explore how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development. This unit has raised concerns among some Florida school districts, according to the College Board.

Last month, the Florida Department of Education requested that the College Board ensure all AP courses comply with the state’s new legal standards.

Previous Clashes Between Florida and the College Board

This is not the first time Florida and the College Board have clashed over course content. In January, the Florida education department rejected the proposed AP African American course, citing violations of state law and a perceived lack of educational value. The department urged the College Board to revise the course with lawful, historically accurate content.

In response, the College Board made changes to the AP African American course in February, removing or de-emphasizing the topics that Florida found problematic. Critics accused the organization of capitulating to Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

However, in April, the College Board announced further changes to the course, aiming to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to African American Studies. Acknowledging their mistakes in the initial rollout, the College Board emphasized the importance of clarity and transparency.

Florida has not yet announced whether it will discontinue offering any AP courses in response to the College Board’s decision not to modify them. According to the New York Times, over 28,000 Florida students enrolled in the popular AP Psychology course during the past school year.

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