Florida Education Department denies banning AP Psychology despite College Board’s censorship claims.
Florida Department of Education Clarifies: AP Psychology Still Allowed in Schools
The Florida Department of Education has made it clear that AP Psychology is still permitted in schools, despite claims from the College Board that the course was banned under a new law. This announcement comes after multiple school districts dropped the course following the College Board’s assertion that it was “effectively banned” under Florida’s new law restricting instruction on gender identity.
“We are sad to have learned that today the Florida Department of Education has effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law,” the College Board said in a statement on August 3.
In response to the College Board’s statement, districts across Florida began removing AP Psychology from their curriculum. However, the Department of Education sent a letter to superintendents the next day, affirming that AP Psychology could still be taught “in its entirety” and accusing the College Board of “playing games.”
Clearing Up Misinterpretations
Despite the Department of Education’s letter, concerns remained. To address these concerns, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. clarified once again that the course is not banned.
“As Commissioner of Education, I tasked my team with reviewing the AP Psychology framework at length. I believe I was clear in my previous letter, but I want to make sure there is no room for misinterpretation,” Diaz wrote in a letter to school superintendents.
The Department of Education believes that the part of the course that explores how sex and gender influence socialization and development can be taught in accordance with Florida law. Diaz’s letter provided “clear guidance” that offers certainty to educators, parents, and students, according to the College Board’s response.
Protecting Parental Rights
Last year, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity through grade three. Subsequently, another law extended these restrictions through eighth grade, and in April, Florida’s board of education expanded the restrictions to all grades. Exceptions to the restrictions are allowed as part of optional reproductive health education or to comply with existing state standards.
DeSantis has argued that this legislation keeps parents informed about their children’s education and protects young children from premature exposure to sexual content.
“We are going to remain a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy, and kids should have an upbringing that reflects that,” DeSantis said when he signed the new law expanding content restrictions through eighth grade.
AP Psychology is part of the College Board’s Advanced Placement program, which allows high school students to take college-level courses. Last school year, over 28,000 Florida students enrolled in AP Psychology. The College Board has stated that it will not alter the course to meet Florida’s legal requirements.
The inclusion of gender and sexual content in school curricula and libraries has become a contentious issue in recent years. Concerned parents have voiced their opinions at school board meetings, expressing their worries about the content their children are exposed to in public schools.
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