What AP
®
Stands For
Thousands of Advanced Placement teachers have contributed to the principles
articulated here. These principles are not new; they are, rather, a reminder of how AP
already works in classrooms nationwide. The following principles are designed to ensure
that teachers’ expertise is respected, required course content is understood, and that
students are academically challenged and free to make up their own minds.
1. AP stands for clarity and transparency. Teachers and students deserve clear
expectations. The Advanced Placement Program makes public its course
frameworks and sample assessments. Confusion about what is permitted in the
classroom disrupts teachers and students as they navigate demanding work.
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develop as independent thinkers and to draw their own conclusions. Evidence and
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3. AP opposes censorship. AP is animated by a deep respect for the intellectual
freedom of teachers and students alike. If a school bans required topics from their
AP courses, the AP Program removes the AP designation from that course and
its inclusion in the AP Course Ledger provided to colleges and universities. For
example, the concepts of evolution are at the heart of college biology, and a course
that neglects such concepts does not pass muster as AP Biology.
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perspectives from their own, and no points on an AP Exam are awarded for
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certain ways about themselves or the course content. AP courses instead develop
students’ abilities to assess the credibility of sources, draw conclusions, and make
up their own minds.
As the AP English Literature course description states: “AP students are not
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literary work as a whole.”
5. AP courses foster an open-minded approach to the histories and cultures of
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ethnicities is essential within a variety of academic disciplines. AP courses ground
such studies in primary sources so that students can evaluate experiences and
evidence for themselves.
6. Every AP student who engages with evidence is listened to and respected. Students
are encouraged to evaluate arguments but not one another. AP classrooms respect
diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. The perspectives and
contributions of the full range of AP students are sought and considered. Respectful
debate of ideas is cultivated and protected; personal attacks have no place in AP.
7. AP is a choice for parents and students. Parents and students freely choose to enroll
in AP courses. Course descriptions are available online for parents and students to
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within AP courses; AP course and exam materials are crafted by committees of
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the use of AP scores for college credits by thousands of colleges and universities
nationwide.
The AP Program encourages educators to review these principles with parents and
students so they know what to expect in an AP course. Advanced Placement is always
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and clarity that once parents have enrolled their child in an AP course, they have agreed
to a classroom experience that embodies these principles.
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of the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit
College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.
