By Sharon Aron Baron

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) announced an “opt-in” policy for high school students interested in taking Advance Placement (AP) Psychology for the 2023/24 school term.

Given the comprehensive nature of the subject matter in AP Psychology, BCPS emphasizes the significance of student well-being and parental decision-making in this process.

“Recognizing the depth and breadth of topics covered in AP Psychology and in line with the importance of prioritizing student well-being and parental choice, we have decided to make enrollment for this elective an ‘opt-in’ process that expressly requires parental consent,” Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata said.

The school district will actively engage with parents, providing detailed information and an opt-in form. For an in-depth understanding of the curriculum, parents are directed to the College Board’s website: apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-psychology.

In the previous academic year, BCPS witnessed a turnout of approximately 2,500 students for AP Psychology. However, recent developments have spurred this policy change. The College Board mentioned that Florida’s Department of Education highlighted certain course content that breaches state regulations.

Florida law (HB 1069), endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, restricts instructions related to sexual orientation and gender identity for students from kindergarten through the eighth grade.

The state’s Board of Education recently greenlit a rule mandating high school teachers to abstain from teaching on these topics unless they align with state academic standards or are integral to reproductive health or health curricula for which parental opt-outs are available.

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