Arkansas school district says it will continue offering AP African American Studies course

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Faculty District mentioned Wednesday it’ll proceed providing an Superior Placement course on African American research regardless of Arkansas training officers saying the category will not rely towards a scholar’s commencement credit score.

The 21,200-student district introduced the choice days after the Arkansas Division of Schooling mentioned the course wouldn’t rely towards state credit score. Schooling officers have instructed colleges the course couldn’t be a part of the state’s superior placement course choices as a result of it’s nonetheless a pilot program and hasn’t been vetted by the state but.

The division cited a state legislation enacted this 12 months that locations restrictions on how race is taught in class, nevertheless it didn’t say the course violates these prohibitions.

Little Rock Central Excessive Faculty, website of the historic 1957 racial desegregation disaster, was considered one of six colleges within the state that had been slated to supply the course this 12 months.

“We’re lucky to have one of many foremost subject material specialists main the instruction at Central Excessive Faculty who has expressed that her college students are enthusiastic concerning the alternative to take the course,” the district mentioned in a press release. “AP African American Research will permit college students to discover the complexities, contributions, and narratives which have formed the African American expertise all through historical past, together with Central Excessive Faculty’s integral connection.”

Arkansas’ transfer got here months after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis blocked Florida excessive colleges from educating the AP course, saying it violated state legislation. Arkansas and a quantity different Republican-led states have imposed limits on how race is taught within the classroom, together with prohibitions on important race concept.

“Till it’s decided whether or not it violates state legislation and teaches or trains lecturers in CRT (important race concept) and indoctrination, the state is not going to transfer ahead,” Arkansas Division of Schooling spokeswoman Kimberly Mundell mentioned in a press release Wednesday. “The division encourages the educating of all American historical past and helps rigorous programs not primarily based on opinions or indoctrination.”

The School Board revamped its course following Florida’s determination, nevertheless it confronted criticism that it was bowing to political strain.

Arkansas training officers have mentioned colleges are allowed to supply the course. In its assertion, the Little Rock district mentioned the course will likely be weighted on college students’ grade level averages the identical as different AP programs.

The district additionally mentioned it’ll guarantee college students will not must pay for the AP examination. As a result of it is not acknowledged by the state, Arkansas will not pay for value of the examination prefer it does for different AP programs.

The School Board web site describes the course as interdisciplinary, pertaining to literature, arts, humanities, political science, geography and science. The pilot program debuted final faculty 12 months at 60 colleges throughout the nation, and it was set to develop to extra colleges this 12 months.

The state’s determination to not acknowledge the course has prompted criticism from Black lawmakers who’ve mentioned the transfer sends the incorrect message. The School Board has additionally mentioned it was disenchanted within the state’s determination.

It was not instantly clear whether or not the course could be provided on the different 5 colleges within the state. The state has mentioned an African American historical past course counts towards highschool credit score, although that course will not be superior placement.