Florida Launching High School U.S. History Class for College Credit

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The Florida Department of Education is launching a pilot program to offer high school students a new college-level American history course that will provide them with college credit, an alternative to the existing Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History curriculum.

Why it matters

This move by Florida aims to give students more options for earning college credits while still in high school, potentially saving them time and money on their post-secondary education. It also reflects an effort by the state to have more control over the curriculum and content of these advanced history courses.

The details

The new Florida-specific U.S. History course will be piloted in select high schools starting next academic year. Students who successfully complete the course will earn college credit that can be applied towards their future university studies. The state is positioning this as an alternative to the existing AP U.S. History program, which has faced some criticism and controversy in Florida in recent years.

• The Department of Education memo outlining the new program was issued on April 10, 2026.
• The pilot program for the new Florida U.S. History course will launch in the 2026-2027 academic year.

What’s next

The Florida Department of Education will select the high schools to participate in the pilot program for the new U.S. History course over the summer, with the goal of expanding the offering statewide in future years.