The Escambia County School District announced this afternoon that it will temporarily remove AP Psychology as a course option.
Why? “To avoid putting our employees in an untenable position in which they would potentially have to choose between jeopardizing their certification for violating state law and offering a course which would not be endorsed for the opportunity to earn college credit”.
As stewards of our students’ academic futures, we remain steadfastly committed to meeting the educational needs of every family we serve, while maintaining compliance with the law.
The district added, “Personnel in our Division of Curriculum and Instruction are currently working to devise alternatives for those students affected by these recent developments. School administration will be working with families of affected students to tailor solutions which best meet each student’s academic needs.”
Complete Statement:
Escambia County Public Schools Makes Decision on Status of AP Psychology Course for 2023-2024 School Year
Pensacola, FL – Due to policy conflicts between the Florida State Department of Education and College Board, the organization who certifies and approves AP courses, Escambia County Public Schools will not be offering Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology for the 2023-2024 school year.
A statement from College Board advises Florida districts against offering AP Psychology:
We are sad to have learned that today the Florida Department of Education has effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law.
The state has said districts are free to teach AP Psychology only if it excludes any mention of these essential topics. The AP course asks students to “describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.” This element of the framework is not new: gender and sexual orientation have been part of AP Psychology since the course launched 30 years ago…
To be clear, any AP Psychology course taught in Florida will violate either Florida law or college requirements. 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.
In order to avoid putting our employees in an untenable position in which they would potentially have to choose between jeopardizing their certification for violating state law and offering a course which would not be endorsed for the opportunity to earn college credit, it is necessary for ECPS to at least temporarily remove AP Psychology as a course option.
As stewards of our students’ academic futures, we remain steadfastly committed to meeting the educational needs of every family we serve, while maintaining compliance with the law. Personnel in our Division of Curriculum and Instruction are currently working to devise alternatives for those students affected by these recent developments. School administration will be working with families of affected students to tailor solutions which best meet each student’s academic needs.
Board Chair Statements:
“It takes into account what the College Board said, what DOE said, and everyone had input,” Board Chair Paul Fetsko said.
“We’re still trying to determine what is the best route for students,” he said. “Dual enrollment is an option as is IB psychology. Individually, students and their parents will make decisions on what is the best route.”
“How that’s going to be carried out is the issue,” Fetsko said of dual enrollment. “Is it going to be after regular school hours? Is it going to be during the school day? All of that remains to be determined.”