High schools across the U.S. could lose AP classes if “required topics” were to be banned from their curriculums, according to The College Board.
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program announced that if any high school were to remove “required topics” from their AP classes, they would lose AP designation, as per their new statement of principles. This change would put the ability of high school students to earn college credit in jeopardy.
“If a school bans required topics from their AP courses, the AP Program removes the AP designation from that course and its inclusion in the AP Course Ledger provided to colleges and universities,” Zach Goldberg, executive director of media relations for The College Board, reportedly said.
The news came amid state legislatures and school districts’ attempts to ban certain books and subjects from being taught in public schools as part of a movement against “critical race theory.” Florida legislatures, for example, passed a bill that would ban their schools and private businesses from making people feel uncomfortable while being taught about racial discrimination in America. It reportedly passed the state Senate Committee on Education on Jan. 18 and will continue to move forward to be debated amongst state senators.
Other states that passed bills in support of anti-“critical race theory” include Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and New Hampshire.
However, Goldberg did not say whether or not these states would lose AP designation in main subjects such as English and history, for not teaching the required topics in an AP course.
The College Board’s statement of principles also said that AP opposed censorship and that it was “animated by a deep respect for the intellectual freedom of teachers and students alike.”
Black students have reportedly been on board with this sentiment of intellectual freedom, as some expressed in an interview with TODAY.
“It’s important for kids, especially Black kids, to learn about race so they can understand who they are. So they don’t end up hating themselves for being Black. Education is good,” said 16-year-old Kerry Santa Cruz of The Living School in New Orleans.
“To cut out half, almost all, of America’s history will put Black kids at a disadvantage,” said 17-year-old Re’Kal Hooker. “If we don’t know our history, how can we come up with our own point of view? How can we grow?”
Unfortunately, those Black students were just two of many that anti-“critical race theory” could negatively impact in the long run if their schools get on board with the movement.
The College Board would ultimately decide whether a school has been following the framework of an AP class through an annual audit process conducted by college professors around the U.S.
