Education department to College Board: ‘Stop playing games’ with AP Psychology course

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – The Florida Department of Education released a statement, calling on the College Board to “stop playing games” with Florida students and allow instructors to teach AP Psychology without including gender teachings.

The College Board provides AP courses, which high school students can take to receive college credit.

The organization said the Florida Department of Education “effectively banned” AP Psychology in the state when it prohibited the course from teaching sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Any course that censors required course content cannot be labeled ‘AP’ or ‘Advanced Placement,’ and the ‘AP Psychology’ designation cannot be utilized on student transcripts,” the College Board said.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education told Florida’s Voice that the College Board is trying to “force” school districts to prevent students from taking the course.

“The Department didn’t ‘ban’ the course,” the department’s spokesperson said.

“The course remains listed in Florida’s Course Code Directory for the 2023-24 school year. We encourage the College Board to stop playing games with Florida students and continue to offer the course and allow teachers to operate accordingly,” the statement continued.

The College Board said it would not modify AP Psychology because it would “censor” college-level standards.

“To be clear, any AP Psychology course taught in Florida will violate either Florida law or college requirements,” the Board said. “Therefore, we advise Florida districts not to offer AP Psychology until Florida reverses their decision and allows parents and students to choose to take the full course.”

For 30 years, the College Board said the framework of gender and sexual orientation have been part of AP Psychology.

“As a committee, we affirm that gender and sexual orientation are essential, longstanding, and foundational topics in the study of psychology,” the creators of the course’s development committee.

The Florida Department of Education spokesperson noted that other course providers such as the International Baccalaureate program “had no issue” providing the college credit psychology course.

The State Board of Education voted in April to prohibit gender and sexual orientation teachings through 12th grade with some exceptions.