The College Board's Unjust Policies: How AP Classes and Exams Disadvantage Disabled Students
To begin, I want to point out that I’ve received a flood of new followers and supporters. So for that, I say welcome and thank you. If you’ve not yet read my welcome message, you can find it here. I know that it seems as if I’m always reintroducing myself in articles … I’m a SpEd RSP teacher at a Title 1 school in Los Angeles … but that’s so much of my day. So much of my current advocacy centres on my students and their families. Today’s post comes out of a conversation with a parent about her child’s performance in AP World History. My student has an IEP eligibility of OHI due to her ADHD. She has an underlying specific learning disability as well. As you’ll know if you’ve been reading my articles for a while, students in the US get one eligibility for special education services. That eligibility is based on how the student’s disability / difference impacts the system, not the other way around.
With this bit of background, today I want to dive deeper into the world of corporatised education, taking a closer look at AP classes and the College Board.
Let’s begin …
The College Board, a very profitable “non-profit organisation,” plays a significant role in shaping the educational landscape of the United States. As the administrator of the Advanced Placement (AP) programme, the College Board offers high school students the opportunity to take “college-level courses” and earn college credit through standardised exams (oh joy!). Whilst the AP programme can be a valuable tool for some students seeking academic challenge and college readiness, the College Board’s policies regarding accommodations for students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) are problematic. These policies stand in opposition to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities and ensure their equal access to education. As a result, the College Board’s accommodation policies create significant barriers to access and success for students with SLDs, undermining their potential and perpetuating systemic inequities in the education system.
The Importance of IDEA
The IDEA is a federal law that plays a crucial role in ensuring equal access to education for students with disabilities in the United States. Enacted in 1975 and reauthorised multiple times since, IDEA mandates that public schools provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE) possible. This means that students with disabilities should have access to the same educational opportunities as their non-disabled peers, with the necessary support and accommodations to allow them to succeed.
Under IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a legally binding document that outlines the specific accommodations, modifications, and support services needed to ensure their access to education. These accommodations can include extended time on tests, alternative assessment formats, assistive technology, and modifications to the curriculum or instructional methods. The IEP is developed collaboratively by a team that includes the student, their parents, teachers, and other relevant school staff (people like me), ensuring that the student’s unique needs and strengths are taken into account.
IDEA’s provisions are essential for ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to education and the opportunity to reach their full potential. By mandating individualised support and accommodations, IDEA helps to level the playing field and prevent discrimination based on disability status. Furthermore, IDEA’s emphasis on inclusion and the least restrictive environment ensures that students with disabilities are not unnecessarily segregated or deprived of the opportunity to learn alongside their non-disabled peers.
The protections and provisions of IDEA are particularly important for students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, verbal / auditory processing delays, and … gestalt processors (like me). These students may face unique challenges in the classroom, but with the appropriate accommodations and support, they can thrive academically and develop a strong foundation for future success. IDEA ensures that these students have the right to the individualized support they need to access and benefit from education, just like any other student.
In short, IDEA is a critical piece of legislation that safeguards the educational rights of students with disabilities, including those with SLDs. Its provisions for individualised accommodations, inclusive education, and equal access are essential for ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically and reach their full potential. As such, any policies or practices that run counter to the principles and requirements of IDEA, such as those of the College Board, must be scrutinised and challenged to ensure that the rights of students with disabilities are upheld.
The College Board's Accommodation Policies
The College Board, as a private entity, has established its own policies and procedures for providing accommodations to students with disabilities through its Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) program. Whilst the SSD program purports to offer support for students with disabilities, in practice, it falls far short of the legal requirements and ethical standards set by IDEA. The College Board’s accommodation policies are narrow, burdensome, and often fail to align with the accommodations students receive through their IEPs, creating significant barriers for students with SLDs seeking to access and succeed in AP classes and exams.
One of the primary challenges students with SLDs face in obtaining accommodations through the College Board is the narrow range of accommodations offered. Whilst IDEA mandates individualised accommodations based on a student’s unique needs, the College Board offers a limited menu of accommodations that may not adequately address the specific challenges faced by students with SLDs. For example, a student with dyslexia may require text-to-speech technology or alternative assessment formats, but these accommodations are not available through the College Board’s SSD program.
Furthermore, the College Board’s documentation requirements for obtaining accommodations are often burdensome and onerous, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds or those attending under-resourced schools. Students must provide extensive documentation of their disability, including formal diagnostic evaluations, which can be expensive and time-consuming to obtain. This creates a significant barrier for students whose families cannot afford the cost of private evaluations or whose schools do not have the resources to conduct comprehensive assessments.
Perhaps most troublingly, the College Board’s accommodation policies often fail to align with the accommodations students receive through their IEPs. Under IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to the accommodations outlined in their IEPs, which are developed through a collaborative process. However, the College Board’s SSD program operates independently of this process, and students may be denied accommodations on AP exams that they regularly receive in the classroom. This lack of alignment can create confusion and frustration for students and undermine the effectiveness of their IEPs.
The disconnect between the College Board’s accommodation policies and the legal requirements of IDEA is particularly concerning given the College Board’s history and its current monopoly on AP exams. The College Board has a disturbing history with eugenics, and its founder, Carl Brigham, was a prominent eugenicist who argued that intelligence was racially determined. While the organisation has since disavowed these views, the legacy of this history cannot be ignored.
Moreover, as the sole administrator of AP exams, the College Board effectively has a monopoly on this critical aspect of the education system. This monopoly gives the College Board significant power and influence, and creates perverse incentives for the organisation to maintain the status quo and resist reforms that could benefit students with disabilities. The College Board’s lobbying efforts and its capture of the regulators of the education system further underscore the fascist nature of our corporatised education system, in which private interests and unrestricted quarter over quarter profit growth take precedence over the rights and needs of students.
In essence, by outsourcing the provision of accommodations for AP exams to a private corporation like the College Board, the government is able to sidestep the legal requirements of IDEA and shirk its responsibility to ensure equal access to education for all students. This is a deeply troubling state of affairs that undermines the rights of students with disabilities and perpetuates systemic inequities in the education system. It is imperative that we challenge the College Board's accommodation policies and demand reforms that prioritise the needs of students with disabilities and align with the principles of IDEA.
Impact on Students with SLDs
The College Board’s inadequate accommodation policies have a profound and detrimental impact on students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), creating significant barriers to their access and success in AP classes and exams. Students with SLDs, including those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory and verbal processing delays, verbal reasoning issues, and gestalt language processing challenges, often struggle with the fast-paced instruction, heavy reliance on reading and writing, and rigid exam formats that characterise the AP program.
The rapid pace of instruction in AP classes can be particularly challenging for students with SLDs, who may require additional time to process and retain information. The heavy emphasis on reading and writing in many AP courses can also pose significant difficulties for students with language-based learning disabilities, such as dyslexia or dysgraphia. These students may struggle to keep up with the volume of reading and writing required, leading to frustration, anxiety, and a sense of inadequacy.
Moreover, the rigid format of AP exams, which often rely on multiple-choice questions and timed essays, can be particularly disadvantageous for students with SLDs. These students may struggle to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding under time pressure or in a format that does not align with their strengths and learning styles. For example, a student with verbal reasoning issues may have difficulty expressing their ideas in a timed essay format, even if they have a deep understanding of the subject matter.
The impact of the College Board’s inadequate accommodation policies is compounded for students from low-income backgrounds and those attending Title 1 schools. These students may face additional barriers to obtaining the necessary documentation and support to secure accommodations, as their families may not have the financial resources to obtain costly private evaluations and their schools may lack the personnel and expertise to provide comprehensive assessments and advocacy.
The case of one of my students, who has an IEP eligibility of Other Health Impairment (OHI) for her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as an underlying SLD, illustrates the devastating impact of the College Board’s policies. Despite having accommodations in her IEP, such as extended time and a quiet testing environment, this student has been struggling in her AP World History class. The fast-paced instruction and heavy reading load have been overwhelming, and she has expressed frustration and self-doubt about her ability to succeed in the course. Without the appropriate accommodations and support, she risks falling behind and becoming discouraged, potentially jeopardising her academic future.
My student’s experience is not unique; countless students with SLDs face similar challenges and barriers in AP classes and exams. The College Board’s failure to provide adequate accommodations and support for these students is a clear violation of the principles of equity and inclusion that should guide our education system. It is imperative that we demand change and hold the College Board accountable for its policies and practices that disadvantage and discriminate against students with SLDs.
Critique of the College Board's Policies
The College Board's policies regarding accommodations for students with SLDs and other disabilities are fundamentally inconsistent with the principles and requirements of the IDEA. IDEA mandates that students with disabilities be provided with a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with individualised accommodations and support to ensure their equal access to educational opportunities. However, the College Board’s narrow, rigid, and burdensome accommodation policies fail to meet these standards, effectively denying students with SLDs the support they need to succeed in AP classes and exams.
Moreover, the College Board’s policies perpetuate systemic inequities in access to higher education. By creating barriers for students with SLDs, particularly those from low-income backgrounds and under-resourced schools, the College Board reinforces the very disparities that IDEA seeks to address. Students who are denied appropriate accommodations may struggle to succeed in AP classes and exams, limiting their opportunities for college credit and advanced standing. This, in turn, can have long-term consequences for their educational and career prospects, contributing to the entrenchment of social and economic inequalities (think the Mathew Effect).
To truly meet the needs of students with SLDs and fulfill the promise of IDEA, the College Board must embrace greater flexibility, inclusivity, and collaboration with disability advocates. This requires a willingness to listen to and learn from the experiences of students with disabilities, their families, and the educators who work with them. It also demands a commitment to redesigning policies and practices to prioritise accessibility and equity, rather than maintaining the status quo.
The existence of the AP system itself raises important questions about the underlying goals and values of our education system. Whilst ostensibly designed to provide advanced academic opportunities and college readiness, the AP programme in its current form may actually serve to create and reinforce a caste system within education. By privileging certain forms of knowledge and assessment, and by creating barriers for students with diverse learning needs, the AP system may function as a gatekeeping mechanism that perpetuates inequity and exclusion.
Furthermore, the College Board’s history of eugenics and its founder’s belief in the racial determinism of intelligence cannot be ignored in this context. Whilst the organisation has formally disavowed these views, the persistence of policies and practices that disadvantage and exclude students with disabilities raises troubling questions about the extent to which this legacy continues to shape the College Board’s approach. The rigidity and narrowness of the College Board’s accommodation policies, combined with its monopolistic control over the AP program, suggest a continued attachment to outdated and discriminatory notions of academic merit and ability.
In light of these concerns, it is imperative that we engage in a critical re-examination of the AP system and the College Board’s role in shaping educational opportunity and equity. This requires a willingness to challenge the assumptions and biases that underlie current policies and practices, and to imagine alternative approaches that prioritise inclusivity, accessibility, and the diverse needs and strengths of all students. It also demands a commitment to holding the College Board accountable for its past and present actions, and to demanding meaningful change that aligns with the principles and requirements of IDEA.
Ultimately, the goal of our education system should be to provide all students, including those with SLDs, with the opportunity to reach their full potential and to participate fully in the academic and social life of their schools and communities. This requires a fundamental shift away from the rigidity, exclusivity, and inequity of the current AP system, and towards a more flexible, inclusive, and equitable approach that values and supports the diversity of all learners.
Call to Action and Advocacy
The deeply entrenched inequities and exclusionary practices of the College Board’s AP programme demand urgent action and systemic change. Whilst advocating for policy reforms within the College Board itself may seem like an obvious solution, it is unlikely that this capitalist corporation, with its massive executive payroll and monopolistic control, will be capable of meaningful self-reform. The College Board’s long history of eugenics and its continued adherence to rigid, narrow, and discriminatory policies suggest that internal change is unlikely without significant external pressure and accountability.
Similarly, relying on Congress to legislate change may prove futile, as our elected officials are often beholden to their corporate masters and reluctant to challenge the status quo. The influence of lobbyists and the pressure to maintain the existing power structures of the education system may prevent meaningful legislative action that prioritises the rights and needs of students with disabilities.
Therefore, the most promising path forward may be to bring the program of “advanced placement” back under local school control, integrating it into existing “gifted and talented education” (GATE) programs. By decentralising the AP system and placing it under the authority of local school districts, we can create opportunities for greater flexibility, inclusivity, and responsiveness to the diverse needs of students.
Local control would allow schools to develop advanced coursework that aligns with the principles of IDEA and provides appropriate accommodations and support for students with IEPs. Rather than being bound by the rigid policies and narrow conception of academic merit promoted by the College Board, schools could design programs that recognise and value the strengths and potential of all learners. This could include alternative assessment methods, differentiated instruction, and a greater emphasis on project-based and experiential learning.
Bringing “advanced placement” under local control would also create opportunities for greater collaboration and partnership between schools, families, and disability advocates. By engaging in meaningful dialogue and working together to develop inclusive and equitable policies and practices, we can create a more responsive and accountable system that upholds the rights and potential of students with IEPs.
However, achieving this systemic change will require the active engagement and advocacy of educators, students, and families. We must work together to raise awareness about the inequities and exclusionary practices of the current AP system, and to build coalitions that demand change at the local, state, and national levels. This may involve lobbying school boards and state education agencies, organising grassroots campaigns and protests, and building alliances with disability rights organisations and other advocacy groups.
Ultimately, the goal of this advocacy must be to create an education system that truly values and supports the diverse needs and strengths of all learners, including those with IEPs. By challenging the monopoly of the College Board and bringing advanced placement back under local control, we can create opportunities for greater equity, inclusivity, and accountability. This is not only a matter of legal compliance with IDEA, but a moral imperative to ensure that all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive in their academic and personal lives.
The time for change is now. We cannot afford to continue allowing a capitalist corporation with a troublesome past to control access to advanced educational opportunities and to perpetuate systemic inequities. We must work together to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive education system that upholds the rights and potential of all students, including those with IEPs. This is a fight that requires the collective efforts of educators, students, families, and advocates, but it is a fight worth fighting for the sake of our children and the future of our society.
Final thoughts …
To wrap this up, the College Board’s AP program, as it currently stands, is a glaring example of the systemic inequities and exclusionary practices that pervade our captured education system. By imposing rigid, narrow, and burdensome accommodation policies, the College Board effectively denies students with IEPs the support and opportunities they need to succeed in advanced coursework. This not only violates the principles and requirements of the IDEA, but it also perpetuates a caste system within education that privileges certain forms of knowledge and ability while marginalizing and excluding others.
The significance of this problem cannot be overstated. By limiting access to advanced educational opportunities and reinforcing barriers for students with IEPs, the College Board's policies have far-reaching consequences for social and economic equity. Students who are denied appropriate accommodations and support are less likely to succeed in AP classes and exams, which can limit their college and career prospects and contribute to the entrenchment of inequalities.
However, we cannot simply accept this status quo. We must envision and work towards a more equitable and inclusive educational system that truly values and supports the diverse needs and strengths of all learners. This requires a fundamental shift away from the monopolistic control of the College Board and towards a decentralised, locally-controlled system that prioritises flexibility, inclusivity, and collaboration.
By bringing “advanced placement” under the authority of local school districts and integrating it into existing gifted and talented education programs, we can create opportunities for greater responsiveness to the needs of students with IEPs. This could include alternative assessment methods, differentiated instruction, and a greater emphasis on project-based and experiential learning. It would also allow for more meaningful partnership and dialogue between schools, families, and disability advocates, leading to more inclusive and equitable policies and practices.
Achieving this vision will require the active engagement and advocacy of all stakeholders in the education system. Educators, students, families, and advocates must work together to raise awareness about the inequities of the current AP system and to demand change at all levels. This may involve lobbying school boards and state education agencies, organising grassroots campaigns and protests, and building coalitions with disability rights organisations and other advocacy groups.
The fight for a more equitable and inclusive educational system is not an easy one, but it is a necessary and urgent one. It is a fight for the rights and potential of all students, including those with IEPs, to have access to advanced educational opportunities and to be valued for their unique strengths and abilities. It is a fight for a more just and equitable society that does not tolerate the marginalisation and exclusion of any group of learners.
We must not be daunted by the scale of the challenge before us. Every small action, every voice raised in advocacy, every student empowered to succeed, brings us closer to our goal. By working together and refusing to accept the status quo, we can create an education system that truly lives up to the promise of IDEA and ensures that all students have the opportunity to thrive.
So let us join together in this fight for change. Let us first demand accountability from the College Board and our elected officials even as we work to eliminate that corporate oligarch from our educational system. Let us advocate for policies and practices that prioritise inclusivity, equity, and the diverse needs of all learners. And let us never lose sight of the incredible potential of every student, including those with IEPs, to achieve great things when given the support and opportunities they deserve. Together, we can create a more just and equitable future for all.