Florida has effectively prohibited the teaching of Advanced Placement Psychology classes in the state, as stated by the College Board.
In a statement, the College Board expressed disappointment with the Florida Department of Education’s decision to ban AP Psychology due to the inclusion of foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity. According to the College Board, Florida superintendents were instructed that teaching such topics is illegal under state law. As a result, AP Psychology can only be taught in Florida if these essential subjects are excluded.
The College Board describes the course as aiming to examine how sex and gender impact socialization and various aspects of development.
This prohibition is part of a broader movement against education on racism, sex, gender, and sexual orientation in Florida. It includes the rejection of critical race theory and the suppression of discussions about the LGBTQ community. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has led these efforts through legislation like the “Stop WOKE Act” and the “Don’t Say Gay” law. The College Board refuses to alter its course, asserting that each of these topics is crucial for college credit, placement, and career readiness.
The College Board expressed its concern over the state’s ban, stating that it limits the choices available to parents and students. It also disrupts the college readiness and affordability plans of thousands of Florida students who have already registered for AP Psychology, one of the most popular AP classes in the state.
The College Board’s development committee supported its psychology curriculum by affirming that gender and sexual orientation are essential and foundational topics in the study of psychology.
The ban will impact students in Florida who had enrolled in the course for the 2023-24 school year. Approximately 28,000 students took this college prep class in the state last year.
In response to HuffPost’s inquiry, the Florida Department of Education denied the claim that it had “banned” the course.
“The Department didn’t ‘ban’ the course. The course remains listed in Florida’s Course Code Directory for the 2023-24 school year,” they stated. “We encourage the College Board to stop playing games with Florida students and continue to offer the course and allow teachers to operate accordingly.”
In January, Florida rejected the teaching of AP African American history in schools due to its mention of critical race theory and the LGBTQ community. The College Board modified the course content in response the following month.
However, the College Board later confirmed that it would not make any further changes to its course curriculums in order to comply with Florida’s laws.
In June, the College Board sent a letter to the Florida Department of Education regarding this matter.
“Please know that we will not modify our courses to accommodate restrictions on teaching essential, college-level topics,” the letter stated. “Doing so would undermine the fundamental promise of AP: colleges would not widely accept that course for credit, and students would not be prepared for success in the discipline.”
HuffPost’s requests for comment were unanswered by a representative for Governor DeSantis.
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