Georgia to allow state funding for AP Black studies course following outrage

Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools seemingly reversed course Wednesday following backlash over the state’s refusal to provide funding for a new Advanced Placement class in African American Studies.

In a statement, Richard Woods said that the state will provide funding to districts that use a course code that has been in the catalog of state-funded courses since 2020.

“Districts using this course code will receive state funding,” he said. “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).”

The course previously did not qualify for Advanced Placement (AP) credit.

Woods’ remarks followed complaints from advocates who said that the state’s refusal to fund an AP course would suppress teaching about Black history. Florida and Arkansas have adopted similar restrictions on courses in AP African American Studies.

State Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat from Lilburn, who had called out Woods, said Thursday that his “reversal, on principle, is great, and honors the fact that this course should have never been on the chopping block in the first place.”

She said allowing districts to use an already-existing course code is a “workaround solution.”

“I am meeting with the [Department of Education] this morning to confirm that with this workaround, students taking this course will receive the same GPA quality points as their peers in other AP courses. Since this course is a college-level course, there must be parity between this course and all other AP offerings,” she said.

The State Board of Education, appointed by the governor, has to approve a class before it can be eligible for state funding, which helps pay for class materials and a teacher’s salary. Woods had decided he wouldn’t recommend approval of the class to the board but did not say why.

In his statement Wednesday, Woods said when he reviewed the course he “had concerns about the state endorsing the totality” of it.

“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,” he said.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, 33 Georgia schools piloted an African American Studies course, said Sara Sympson, a spokesperson for the College Board, a nonprofit testing entity.

Advanced Placement courses are offered by the College Board across the academic spectrum, including in math, science, social studies, foreign languages and fine arts. The courses are optional and taught at a college level, allowing students who score well on a final exam to earn college credit while still in high school.