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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.
2.
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develop as independent thinkers and to draw their own conclusions. Evidence
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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.
4.
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perspectives from their own, and no points on the 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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within the literary work as a whole.”
5.
AP courses foster an open-minded approach to the histories and cultures
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races, and 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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AP courses; AP course and exam materials are crafted by committees of professors
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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 a choice, and it should be an informed one. AP teachers should be given the
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they have agreed to a classroom experience that embodies these principles.
© 2026 The Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks
of the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Visit College Board on the web:
collegeboard.org.
