LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On the Friday before many Arkansas schools started the year, reports came out that the Arkansas Department of Education stated that an Advancement Placement (AP) class on African American studies wouldn't be offered or recognized for course credit as an AP course for the 2023-2024 year.
A photo circulated on social media showed that the AP African American studies class was deleted from the Course Code Management System, which is used by the state's education department to verify courses.
The course was offered as a pilot class during the 2022-2023 school year at Little Rock Central High and The Academies at Jonesboro High, which were a part of 60 schools across the country. The pilot is set to expand to more schools in 2023-2024 and would include an exam.
"The department encourages the teaching of all American history and supports rigorous courses not based on opinion or indoctrination," said Kimberly Mundell, Director of Communications for the Dept. of Education.
Mundell also said the African American studies is "not a history course" and a pilot program undergoing revisions. "Without clarity, we cannot approve a pilot that may unintentionally put a teacher at risk of violating Arkansas law."
In Feb. 2023, the College Board revised the curriculum for the course, which removed topics such as Black Lives Matter, slavery reparations, and queer theory. The College Board, which oversees AP courses, had consulted professors from over 200 colleges, according to the Associated Press.
Mundell said an exam was not offered to students last year and that the course "may not articulate into college credit."
The College Board said over 200 institutions have "committed to supporting AP African American Studies through credit and placement policies."
When Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders first came into office, she signed an executive order in Jan. 2023 that banned what she called "indoctrination" and critical race theory in schools.
That executive order gave Jacob Oliva, the state's education secretary, the ability to review education material "that would indoctrinate students with ideologies, such as CRT, that conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law or encourage students to discriminate against someone based on the individual’s color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law."
Oliva could also "amend, annul, or alter" any rules, regulations, or materials that the department found to be in conflict with the executive order.
We spoke to Oliva via phone Monday morning, asking a range of questions to clarify this decision. He claimed the main reason the course is not being considered for AP credit is a lack of teacher training, something he doesn't expect to happen until next school year.
We also asked why this decision was sent out Friday afternoon. Oliva said this has been an ongoing discussion for months and did not have a specific reason why this was sent Friday.
The College Board said it wasn’t sure what Oliva was referring to regarding teacher training and that it hosts summer programs on “every AP course topic every year as professional development for teachers.”
Over 500 teachers participated in sessions on the AP African American studies class, according to the College Board.
“College Board is committed to providing an unflinching encounter with the facts of African American history and culture, and rejects the notion that the AP African American Studies course is indoctrination in any form,” said Holly Stepp, Executive Director of Communications at College Board.
Six schools in Arkansas were reportedly going to participate in the pilot course in its second year. The College Board said that the University of Arkansas Fayetteville was one of over 200 colleges and universities across the country to provide college credit for the course.
Joyce Elliott, a former teacher and Democratic legislator, in response to the reports, said Arkansans should "not settle for the Florida low bar of devaluing, disrespecting and withholding the AP African American course from our students."
"They need to fix this now," she said. "If it means calling an emergency meeting, that is what they ought to do."
The Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus expressed outrage over the decision with Rep. Jay Richardson calling it "deeply concerning" and that it "sends a message to students in Arkansas that their African American peers are not as important and not as valued."
"We are committed to doing all we can to challenge this discriminatory decision and ensure that African American Studies is available for AP credit and a valued option in Arkansas public schools," Richardson said.
Mundell said that Arkansas has an African American History course for the current school year and although it is not an AP course, students will be eligible for high school credit.
"We are working with districts regarding an honors version of this course so students can benefit from a rigorous experience," Mundell said.
Dr. Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, University of Arkansas at Little Rock explained that due to the pilot nature of the course, they have been working with the Arkansas Department of Education on how to proceed.
"We work closely with them to ensure we’re aligned on the courses we accept. At this time, this course is not accepted, but that can certainly be revisited in the future," he added.
Other courses such as European History, United States History, and World History: Modern are still offered under the AP program as "vetted courses."
The Little Rock Schoo District released a statement regarding credit for AP African American studies pilot course, which in paid said, "LRSD has taken a proactive step to recognize the importance of diversity and inclusivity in our curriculum. As part of our commitment to providing a rich and comprehensive learning experience, we will continue with our plans to offer the AP course. This course will be weighted the same as all other AP courses. Students will be able to take the AP exam, and the District will ensure students will not have to pay for the exam. We will also continue to work closely with the College Board regarding content and curriculum."
The statement also went on to say the following," We are fortunate to have one of the foremost subject matter experts leading the instruction at Central High School who has expressed that her students are enthusiastic about the opportunity to take the course. AP African American Studies will allow students to explore the complexities, contributions, and narratives that have shaped the African American experience throughout history, including Central High School’s integral connection."
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.