Following the National Association of Scholars’ report critiquing the College Board for selectively editing its standards for the Advanced Placement European History course, the board has decided to revise them.
The NAS pointed out that the College Board originally “distorted or ignored whole categories of European history, including the history of political liberty, the history of free-market economic liberty, and the history of religion.”
The College Board’s original standards removed virtually all mention of religion in the 19th century and mentions of key figures such as Winston Churchill and Christopher Columbus, according to a 2016 NAS report. The NAS also found that the standards highlighted leftist thinkers, whitewashed the evils of communism, and praised the rise of the welfare state.
A right-of-center watchdog organization that promotes academic freedom and excellence in higher education, the NAS is pleased that the College Board has chosen to revise its selectively edited standards.
The College Board “made substantial numbers of smaller revisions that give greater prominence to religion,” revised its previously negative portrayal of free markets, and “significantly modified its treatment of the Soviet Union, giving a more accurate depiction of its horrific character,” according to the NAS.
Yet, the NAS also believes that College Board did not take the revisions far enough — Columbus, Soviet genocide, and the word “liberty” are still absent from its standards.
Peter Wood, president of the NAS, said in a press release that “the improvements the College Board made are ultimately superficial … this failure by the College Board underscores the need for a new, rival assessment organization, to provide AP examinations that meet minimum professional levels of ideologically unbiased history and basic factual accuracy.”
Kate Hardiman is pursuing a Masters in Education from Notre Dame and teaches English and Religion at a high school in Chicago.
