College Board shelves AP psychology class in Florida over guidance on gender content

The College Board has made this recommendation due to a directive from the state of Florida, which demands the exclusion of discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in educational content. The College Board feels that without these crucial aspects, the AP Psychology course would be incomplete and thus, they’ve advised against its offering.

The Florida Department of Education has denied banning the course. However, it has issued instructions that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law, which has effectively caused the course to be withdrawn by the College Board.

The American Psychological Association expressed concern that the state’s policy would result in an incomplete education for students. The association’s CEO, Arthur Evans Jr., stated that requiring what amounts to censored educational material does an enormous disservice to students in Florida.

No, the College Board decided not to modify its AP Psychology course in response to Florida’s law. It maintained that gender and sexual orientation have been an integral part of the course’s curriculum since its inception 30 years ago.

Yes, earlier in April, the College Board announced that it would revise its AP African American Studies course following criticism that the curriculum had been watered down under pressure from conservative politicians, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The curriculum’s discussions on slavery reparations and the Black Lives Matter movement were specifically called into question.