The head of Florida's education department on Friday told school officials that Advanced Placement Psychology courses may be taught in their "entirety" after dizzying concerns over new state laws barring material on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. sent a letter to school superintendents Friday stressing that his team is not discouraging districts from teaching AP Psychology. The letter came one day after the College Board advised districts to not teach the course due to aspects of the class that deal with sexual orientation and gender identity -- guidance that came just days before the school year was set to start for students and educators.
"In fact, the Department believes that AP Psychology can be taught in its entirety in a manner that is age and developmentally appropriate and the course remains listed in our course catalog," Diaz wrote.
"I want to be clear, AP Psychology is and will remain on the course code directory making it available to Florida students," he continued.
In response to Diaz's instructions, the College Board on Friday said the department's stance "represents revised guidance" on the teaching of the course.
"We hope now that Florida teachers will be able to teach the full course, including content on gender and sexual orientation, without fear of punishment in the upcoming school year," the College Board, a non-profit that oversees AP coursework and administers the SAT college admissions test, said Friday in a statement.
More than 28,000 Florida students took AP Psychology courses last year, according to the College Board, which called it one of the most popular classes in the state. In 2021, AP Psychology was the fifth most popular AP class in the state, according to a report by the Florida Department of Education. AP classes are one of several ways high school students can gain college credits free of charge.
On Thursday, the College Board said teaching the course to Floridians would "violate either Florida law or college requirements."
The College Board's initial decision against providing the course came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the "Parental Rights in Education" bill into law last March.
The measure, which opponents dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law, bans certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.
The law states "classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
Despite the Republican governor signing the bill into law, the state education department on Thursday remained anchored in its decision to provide the AP Psychology course.
In a statement to CNN on Thursday, the education department said the College Board was "attempting to force school districts to prevent students from taking the AP Psychology Course," just one week before the new school year begins in most counties.
"The course remains listed in Florida's Course Code Directory for the 2023-24 school year. We encourage the College Board to stop playing games with Florida students and continue to offer the course and allow teachers to operate accordingly," the department said Thursday.