AP World History in the News

Here's a running list of the press coverage about the proposed changes to AP World.

Those changes, announced by Trevor Packer, senior vice president of Advanced Placement and instruction at the College Board,  would start the course in 1450 instead of thousands of years earlier with prehistory.

The proposed changes infuriated many teachers because it would exclude the rich and diverse history of Afro-Erasia.  For example, students would not learn about the rise and spread of Islam, the golden age of the Tang and Song dynasty, the travels of Ibn Batutta and Marco Polo, or even the Mongols.

Some teachers questioned Packer at an Open Forum during the AP Reading in Salt Lake City in early June.   One teacher's questions, Amanda DoAmaral's, went viral.

Now, major news organizations are writing about the controversy. Politico and Atlantic Magazine are two of the most recognizable but academics like Dr. Peter Stearns, provost at George Mason University and the author of world history textbooks, and Dr. Ross Dunn, one of the founders of the World History Association, have written public letters to the College Board. Those are also linked below.

Check back as I will update the list as more media outlets publish stories about the controversy.

1. Teaching Tolerance: AP World History Is Worth Saving
2. Education Week: AP World History Rewrite Draws Criticism From Teachers and Students 
3. Colorlines: Teachers Fight To Keep Pre-Colonial World History In AP Course
4. American Historical Assoication: AHA Letter to College Board Regarding AP World History 
5. The Hill: Teachers fight to keep pre-colonial history in AP course curriculum
6. Dr. Peter Stearns: A Real Path Forward for AP World History 
7. The Federalist: Campus Insanity Hits High School As Teachers Protest ‘Eurocentric’ ‘Imperialism’ Of History Classes 
8. Atlantic Magazine: The Controversy Over Just How Much History AP World History Should Cover 
9. Save AP World Website: Compilation of letters to Trevor Packer, vice president of Advanced Placement and instruction at the College Board
10. The Hill: Teachers fight to keep pre-colonial history in AP course curriculum
11. Politico: AP World History gets a makeover, and high school teachers rebel 
12. History News Network: AP World History gets a makeover, and high school teachers rebel
13. Inside Higher Ed: Dividing World History
14. Statement from histoiran, David Christian
15. American Historical Society, Essay by Matt Drwenski and Dave Eaton whoshost the podcast, On Top of the World. The essay is called "Class Warfare: Changes to the AP World History Course."
16. Economist: Teachers protest against changes to a high-school history course 
17. Washington Post: AP World History course is dropping thousands of years of human events — and critics are furious 
18. The Mercury News: Critics lambaste AP World History course omissions 
19. Atlanta Black Star: Utah Teachers, Students Fight to Stop Erasure of Pre-Colonial History from AP Courses 
20. NPR: Changes Coming To AP World History Classes  
21. Journal Sentinel: Educators fight effort to scale back AP World History
22. New York Times: A.P. World History Tries to Trim Thousands of Years, and Educators Revolt
23. Christian Science Monitor: AP test debate: How much world history should high-schoolers know? 
24. Mental Floss: College Board Wants to Erase Thousands of Years From AP World History, and Teachers Aren't Happy 
25. CNN: The College Board wants to cut thousands of years from its AP World History test. Teachers aren't having it. 
26. Time Magazine: Jesus, Genghis Khan and Joan of Arc Are Just Some of the Major Figures That Could Be Cut From AP World History Classes  
27. The Week: Ancient history belongs in schools 
28. NEA: Educators Push Back Against Proposed Changes to AP World History 
29. Haaretz:  Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon Might Get Cut From the AP World History Curriculum
30. Townhall: College Board Wants to Axe Thousands of Years of History From AP World History Exam
31. Association of Asian Studies: Isn’t That Just Ancient History?
32. Campus Reform: Scholars blast decision to cut 8,000 years from AP World History 
33. Tampa Bay Times:  Ruth: Downsizing world history exam is foolish
34. Atlanta Journal Constituion: Shrinking AP World History denies students context
35. Voice of America: US Educators Debate Proposal to Cut Thousands of Years from AP Class 
36. Hyperallergic: AP World History Makes a Turn Toward Eurocentrism