College Board officials have announced that they have made significant changes to the Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH) course framework, a move celebrated by a lot of Georgians, including many state legislators, concerned about the peddling of “revisionist” and “biased” history in public schools. State School Superintendent Richard Woods labels the long-sought move back to a more traditional course as “a step in the right direction.”
“I noted earlier this year that I had deep concerns regarding the College Board’s new APUSH framework and testing because I did not believe our nation’s history was being represented with a balanced approach. I was able to meet with the College Board’s president – at his request – a few months ago and had a frank conversation about my concerns. I’m pleased to see that many of the very concerns I addressed with him are reflected in the 2015-2016 APUSH frameworks.” Woods says.
The revised 2015 APUSH frameworks clarify the following areas to reflect their importance in U.S. history:
- American national identity and unity
- American ideals of liberty, citizenship, self-governance, and how those ideals play out in U.S. history
- American founding political leaders, including Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Hamilton, and Franklin
- Founding Documents – including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers – as reflected in a new recommended focus section
- Productive role of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation in shaping U.S. history
- U.S. role in the victories of WWI and WWII, particularly the contributions and sacrifices of American servicemen and women in those wars
- U.S. leadership in ending the Cold War
- Role of religious ideas and groups in shaping American society and political life
