LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An advanced placement course for African American studies will go under further review by the Arkansas Department of Education.
Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva sent out a letter Monday to five school districts that said they will offer the class in the current school year.
Those letters were sent to the superintendents over the Little Rock, North Little Rock, Jonesboro, Jacksonville and eStem schools.
The letter shows concerns about the material and resources for the pilot program.
“Given some of the themes included in the pilot, including “intersections of identity” and “resistance and resilience,’” the letter stated. “The department is concerned the pilot may not comply with Arkansas law, which does not permit teaching that would indoctrinate students with ideologies such as Critical Race Theory.”

The law that the letter refers to is the Arkansas LEARNS Act, which went into effect on August 1.
Districts have until September 8 to send materials like the syllabus, textbooks and teacher resources to the Arkansas Department of Education.