Overview:
In a unilateral move State School Superintendent Richard Woods decided to not to the recommend adding Advanced Placement African American History to the state catalogue for the 2024-2025 school year.
In a unilateral move, State School Superintendent Richard Woods decided not to recommend adding Advanced Placement African American History to the state catalog for the 2024-2025 school year.
This change comes after the state approved several school districts to offer a pilot in the 2023-2024 school year, and students were offered an appropriate credit.
In a statement sent to Education in Atlanta, the state superintendent gave this message.
“There has been an African American Studies course code in the catalog of state-funded courses since 2020. Districts using this course code will receive state funding. Should districts choose to do so, they may teach some or all of the standards in the AP African American Studies course using this code (and students may take the associated AP exam),” said Woods. “When I reviewed the AP course, I had concerns about the state endorsing the totality of the course. It’s my position that districts should use the existing course code – which offers them the flexibility to develop their own curriculum based on local priorities, or to use standards from the AP course if they choose and in consultation with their communities.”
Word first got out about this decision not from Wood’s office but from Gwinnett County Public Schools Chief Learning Officer DeNelle West, who was communicating with schools to let them know the decision.
“As a result, this will necessitate schedule adjustments for the students impacted by this change,” said West in the communication dated July 22, 2024. “Our commitment to a comprehensive and inclusive education remains unwavering and students can still explore related content through other elective courses available at their local schools.”
Other districts like Atlanta Public Schools have opted to offer the course with local funds. Representatives from Atlanta sent us the following statement.
“Atlanta Public Schools’ charter system status gives us the flexibility to continue offering Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies, even though it will not be supported with state funding. APS will provide the course to students with local funds. AP African-American Studies will continue to count for credit toward graduation. This district is committed to providing rigorous instruction that helps our students become globally-minded citizens.”
With Fulton County Schools also echoing
Wood’s decision has been criticized by lawmakers, including State Representative Dr. Jasmine Clark, who posted this comment on social media.
“This morning I got a text from a constituent who was prepping for the school year stating that they’d received a call that AP African American Studies was not approved to be offered in our schools. An AP course is a college-level course that students can take and earn college credit while in high school. Our schools offer a number of AP courses. The fact that AP African American studies was removed from our schools is alarming and an injustice to our students who eagerly anticipated taking this course. Erasure of black history from our schools is not and never will be okay!”
Advanced Placement African American History AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with rich and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment.
The course framework in the AP African American Studies Course and Exam Description (CED) (.pdf) is organized by four thematic units that follow a chronological flow across the course.
Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora (~900 BCE–16th century)
Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance (16th century–1865)
Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom (1865–1940s)
Unit 4: Movements and Debates (1940s–2000s)
Georgia is not the first state to attempt to ban AP African American History with Florida banning it last fall and other districts more recently.
Our team at Education in Atlanta combed the agendas from the last state school board meeting and could not find the notice nor notice from Wood’s office about this decision.
We will continue to update this story as it develops.