The College Board has released a revised framework for AP U.S. History, or 鈥淎PUSH,鈥� a year after critics attacked it as taking an overly negative view of America鈥檚 story.
The College Board online yesterday. (You can find the accompanying .)
In a , the College Board said that gathering public feedback had resulted in 鈥渋mprovements to the language and structure of the course.鈥� This version discusses American exceptionalism, brings more attention to the United States鈥� positive contributions to world history, such as its roles in ending the Cold War, and the two World Wars. It offers more detail on the founding fathers, and spends more time discussing the 鈥減roductive role鈥� of free enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation.
鈥淓very statement in the 2015 edition has been examined with great care based on the historical record and the principled feedback the College Board received,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淭he result is a clearer and more balanced approach to the teaching of American history that remains faithful to the requirements that colleges and universities set for academic credit.鈥�
The College Board also went out of its way to clarify an inaccuracy that had been circulating in one or more early news reports: that the new framework required no changes in textbooks or other materials. On the contrary, the College Board said: 鈥淭he new framework requires changes in assessment, instructional resources, and classroom teaching.鈥�
鈥淪pecifically, the 2016 AP U.S. History exam and all subsequent AP U.S. History exams will be fully aligned to the new framework. Furthermore, all teacher professional-development materials and sessions are being aligned to the new framework; we are confident that classroom instruction will shift accordingly.
鈥淭he College Board does not develop textbooks for AP courses or require particular textbooks. Instead, states, districts, and schools make local decisions about which college textbooks to use for AP courses. The framework will guide how existing textbooks are used and inform the development of new textbooks.鈥�
The arrival of the revised framework drew applause in some quarters. who praised it, and American Enterprise Institute scholar (and EdWeek blogger) .
But not all critics were appeased. of it in the National Review.
As you probably recall, last year鈥檚 version of the framework sparked not only criticism, but moves in some states and districts to dump the product altogether. The last summer, prompting the College Board to take the , and promising to issue a 鈥渃larified鈥� version of the framework.