Florida Legislature Approves Bill to Expand College-Readiness Courses Competing With AP Florida’s state legislature recently passed a bill aimed at expanding the state’s college-readiness program, known as Florida Advanced Courses and Test (FACT), to compete with nationally recognized programs like Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB). The legislation includes financial incentives for school districts and educators, offering teachers a $50 bonus for each student who earns a qualifying grade on a FACT exam. These bonuses are comparable to those provided for AP and IB courses, according to Politico. The FACT initiative originated in 2023 amid tensions between Florida’s state government and the College Board over the inclusion of AP African American studies courses. Last fall, the state launched its first pilot FACT courses in algebra at select high schools. While public Florida colleges and universities accept FACT credits, institutions in other states do not recognize them, limiting the program’s broader impact. Some Democratic lawmakers have questioned the rigor of FACT courses, arguing they may not meet the standards of AP or IB programs. They also expressed concerns that parents might mistakenly believe FACT scores could provide an advantage in college admissions beyond Florida. Democratic state representative Felicia Simone Robinson highlighted these worries, stating, “Who is making up these advanced courses, and are they truly equivalent…? If we are, and this is a course we’re just making up for Florida and it’s not necessarily equivalent to AP and IB courses, then we’re putting our students at a disadvantage when they’re trying to compete against other students in the United States.#college_board #florida_legislature #advanced_placement #international_baccalaureate #felicia_simone_robinson
