College Board’s Advanced Placement, or AP program, dates back to the 1950’s. However, in a press conference Monday, DeSantis again expressed thoughts on introducing other college preparatory choices in Florida schools.
More than a third of US public high school graduates in the class of 2021 took at least one AP class, according to data from the College Board. In Florida, students from 733 public high schools took an AP test.
However, on Monday at a press conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, DeSantis had this to say about AP and College Board:
“Viewing the relationship with the College Board, we really like when students can get college credit in high school. We’ve expanded things like dual enrollment. But I think what I’ve just noticed is that Florida has subsidized this one company, College Board, when there are other companies that I think want to compete. And so I think what we’re looking to do is have more of an open market to where schools can pick the best way for college credit”
This comes amidst controversy. DeSantis voiced concerns over the Black History AP course and, in turn, the College Board stripped the program down.
College Board responded in a lengthy statement, saying that Florida’s resistance to the course is “politically motivated”, and that the College Board was met with uninformed questions like, “What does the word ‘intersectionality’ mean?” and “Does the course promote Black Panther thinking?”
Desantis made sure to clarify that for now, AP classes will still be offered.
“I think people can rest assured that, you know, if you send your kid to high school in Florida, you’re going to have adequate opportunity to get college credit, because I like the fact that people can go to our state universities and they can graduate in two or three years sometimes because they’ve been able to get college credit,” “Sometimes with Advanced Placement, sometimes with International Baccalaureate, sometimes with the Cambridge exams, sometimes with dual enrollment”
