Florida Issues A Ban On Advanced Placement Psychology Course Due To Teachings Of Sex And Gender Identity

AP Psychology has been effectively prohibited by the Florida Department of Education within the state.

On Thursday, the College Board announced that Florida will not implement the course because “teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law.”

According to College Board, the Florida Department of Education Office of Articulation requested potential modifications to its courses to comply with the state law. However, the College Board refused, stating that it cannot make changes that would compromise college-level standards for credit.

The AP course currently includes a requirement for students to “describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.” Allegedly, Florida officials informed state school districts that the course could be taught, but without these specific topics. However, the College Board states that without the essential course content, the course cannot be labeled as “Advanced Placement.”

In April, the Florida Department of Education implemented a rule stating that in grades 4 through 12, instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited unless it is expressly required by state academic standards or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson. Additionally, parents have the option to choose not to have their students attend such lessons.

Nevertheless, the state’s decision to ban certain topics in AP Psychology will have a significant impact, as over 28,000 Florida students took the course in the 2022-23 academic year. This means tens of thousands of students will be affected by the new restrictions imposed by the Florida Department of Education.