Palm Beach County reverses course, will keep AP Psychology in schools
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (FLV) – The School District of Palm Beach County has decided to return to offering AP Psychology for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.
“The college level AP Psychology course will be taught in its entirety in an ‘age and developmentally appropriate’ manner to enrolled high school students in Palm Beach County,” said Superintendent Mike Burke in a statement.
The announcement comes just days after the school district decided to remove the course, an action in response to the College Board’s encouragement that districts discontinue the class and deny its “AP” designation because the state prohibits teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Initially, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. sent a letter to school superintendents “out of an abundance” of caution in an attempt to simmer any anxieties or confusion regarding the College Board’s response, stating the course could still be taught under Florida’s education guidelines.
“Based upon the latest guidance available from both the Florida Department of Education and the College Board, the School District of Palm Beach County will return to offering the Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology course for the upcoming 2023-24 school year,” Burke continued.
The announcement concludes a seesaw ordeal between the state and College Board just as district students return to school on Thursday.
“We appreciate the patience of our students, parents, teachers, and school administrators as we navigated the uncertainties of this situation over the past few days. I am pleased that in the final analysis based on the latest information available from both FDOE and College Board, the School District of Palm Beach County will continue to offer AP Psychology to interested students as we have done for the past 30 years,” Burke concluded.
