pg 1 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.

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Get the facts about the
Advanced Placement
U.S. History redesign.
ThenewAPU.S.HistoryCurriculumFrameworkandExam(APUSH)
encouragedeepengagementwithournationsfoundingdocuments
andtheinspiringprimarysourcesofAmericanhistory,andprovide
teacherswithgreaterexibilitytofocustheirclasstimeonstateand
localpriorities.Thebestwaytounderstandthechangesisbytaking
acloserlookattheexam,beforeandaftertheredesign,asitdirectly
impactshowteachersandstudentsfocustheirstudyofU.S.history.
APUSHisanadvanced,college-levelcoursenotanintroductoryU.S.history
coursetherefore,manyelementswillhavebeencoveredforstudentspreviously.
TheAPUSHcourseframeworkisjustthataframeworknotacomprehensive
curriculum.TheCollegeBoardrespectstherightsandroleofteacherstoselect
historicalelementsonwhichtofocus.
ThenewAPUSHframeworkwasdesignedby,andhastheoverwhelmingsupport
ofAPUSHteachersandcollege-levelU.S.historyprofessors.
Byrequest,theCollegeBoardwillprovideresourcestohelpteachersusetheexible
APUSHframeworktofulllastatesstandardsandpriorities.
pg 2 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.org

66.
ProvidedfortheannexationoftheOregonTerritory

EstablishedreservationsforNativeAmericans

Grantedsettlersafreehomesteadof160acres

Establishedthetermsforsettlementandadmissionofthenewstates

Bannedslaverynorthofthe3630line

FACT #1 More Focus on the Founding Documents

AP U.S. History Before:
APExamquestionsaskedaboutvariousdocumentsfromU.S.history,buttheydidnotrequire
teachersandstudentstoreadandexaminethosedocumentsindepth.Infact,landmarkdocuments
liketheDeclarationofIndependence,theBillofRights,andtheEmancipationProclamationwerenot
evenmentionedinthepriorAPU.S.Historyframework.
Sample Exam Question:
TheNorthwestOrdinancesdidwhichofthefollowing?
AP U.S. History After:
Everymultiple-choiceexamquestionnowrequiresstudentstodemonstratetheirunderstanding
ofAmericasfoundingdocumentsandthegreatconversationstheyhaveinspiredthroughout
Americanhistory.Accordingly,eachquestionincludesaprimaryorsecondarysource,emphasizing
theimportanceofstudentscarefullyreadingandunderstandinghistoricaldocumentsintheU.S.
historyclassroom.
Sample Exam Question:
[H]istoryandexperienceprovethatforeigninuenceisoneofthemostbanefulfoesofrepublican
governmentExcessivepartialityforoneforeignnationandexcessivedislikeofanothercause
thosewhomtheyactuatetoseedangeronlyononesideandservetoveilandevensecondthe
artsofinuenceontheotherThegreatruleofconductforus,inregardtoforeignnations,isin
extendingourcommercialrelationstohavethemaslittlepoliticalconnectionaspossible.Sofar
aswehavealreadyformedengagements,letthembefullledwithperfectgoodfaith.Herelet
usstop.Europehasasetofprimaryinterestswhichtoushavenone,oraveryremoterelation.
Henceshemustbeengagedinfrequentcontroversies,thecauseofwhichareessentiallyforeign
toourconcerns.
George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796
pg 3 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.org

30. TheconcernsexpressedbyWashingtonwerearesponsetothe:
DebateoverthepropertreatmentofAmericanIndiantribesinthetrans-AppalachianWest
DisputeoverthepossibilityofannexingCanadafromGreatBritain
ControversyregardingsupportfortherevolutionarygovernmentofFrance
ConictwithGreatBritainoverthetreatmentofAmericanloyalists
31. TheideasexpressedinWashingtonsaddressmoststronglyinuencedwhichUnitedStates
foreignpolicydecisioninthetwentiethcentury?
TheestablishmentoftheUnitedNationsin1945
TheformationoftheNATOalliancebetweentheUnitedStatesandWesternEuropein1949
TherefusaltojointheLeagueofNationsin1919
TheoilembargoagainstJapanin1941
FACT #2 More Transparent
AP U.S. History Before:
TheAPU.S.HistoryExamwasreleasedonlyonceevery58yearsforteacherstouseintheirclass-
roompreparation,makingitverydifcultforteachersandthepublicatlargetoexaminewhatthe
examrequiredstudentstoknowandbeabletodo.
AP U.S. History After:
Movingforward,theAPU.S.HistoryExamwillbereleasedeverysummertoAPteachers.Inaddition,
insummer2015wewillpostforpublicreviewandcommenttheMay2015APU.S.HistoryExam.
TheAPProgramsharesthesamegoalasthepublic:toensurethatAPExamsarebalancedintheir
coverageofimportanttopics.
pg 4 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.org

Challengesexdiscriminationintheworkplace

OpposetheproposedEqualRightsAmendment

Advocaterestrictionsonaccesstoabortion

Advocateequalaccessforwomentoathleticfacilities

FACT #3 More Flexible

AP U.S. History Before:
Inthepast,therewerenoconstraintsonwhatcouldappearonanAPexam,soteachersfeltthey
hadtoskimmaterialsupercially,occasionallysacricingstateandlocalprioritiesintherushtocover
anythingthatcouldappearonanAPU.S.HistoryExam.
Sample Exam Question:
28. TheNationalOrganizationforWomen(NOW)wasfoundedin1966inorderto:
Encouragewomentobelieveinthefemininemystique
AP U.S. History After:
TeachersnowbuildtheirowncurriculumusingjustsevenpagesofrequiredLearningObjectives,
eachofwhichsupportsteachersuseofstatestandardsandlocalprioritiestoselectwhichhistorical
guresandeventstofocusonindepth.TheAPExamquestionsarewritteninwaysthatsupport
thisexibility.
Sample Exam Question:
1. UsingyourknowledgeofUnitedStateshistory,answerpartsaandb.
a) BrieyexplainwhyONEofthefollowingperiodsbestrepresentsthebeginningofade-
mocracyintheUnitedStates.ProvideatleastONEpieceofevidencefromtheperiodto
supportyourexplanation.
Riseofpoliticalpartiesinthe1790s
Developmentofvoluntaryorganizationstopromotesocialreformsbetweenthe1820s
andthe1840s
EmergenceoftheDemocratsandtheWhigsaspoliticalpartiesinthe1830s
b) BrieyexplainwhyONEoftheotheroptionsisnotaspersuasiveastheoneyouchose.
pg 5 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.org

ItintensiedAmericanIndianpoliticalactivism

ItforcedtheUnitedStatestoreconsiderthepolicyofmassiveretaliation

ItincreasedpublicpressuretofreetheUnitedStatesfromdependenceonforeign
energysources

Brieyexplainthepointofviewabouttheeconomyexpressedbytheartist.

BrieyexplainONEdevelopmentintheperiod1865to1910thatcouldbeusedtosupport
thepointofviewexpressedbytheartist.

FACT #4 More Balanced
AP U.S. History Before:
Somequestionsrequiredstudentstofocusonlyonisolatedincidentswithnegativeimplications.
Sample Exam Question:
27. The1979incidentatThreeMileIslandhadwhichofthefollowingeffects?
ItintensiedcriticismoftheSupremeCourt
Itincreasedsupportforthemovementagainstnuclearpower
AP U.S. History After:
Questionsnowrequireteachersandstudentstolookatmultiplesidesofanissue.
Sample Exam Question:
3. Usingthe1883imageabove,answera,b,andc.
BrieyexplainONEdevelopmentintheperiod1865to1910thatcouldbeusedtochallenge
thepointofviewexpressedbytheartist.
pg 6 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.org

FACT #5 More Local
AP U.S. History Before:
Becauseanyevent,individual,orfactinU.S.HistorywasconsideredfairgroundforanAPExam
question,morethan70%ofAPteachersfelttheAPProgramforcedthemtocovertoomanytopics
innotenoughdepth.ByrushingtocovereverythingthatcouldshowupontheAPExam,teachers
oftenhadtoskimtheirstatestandardsorshoehornlocalprioritiesintotheirAPcourses.
Sample Exam Question:
27. Whichofthefollowingcoloniesrequiredeachcommunityof50ormorefamiliestoprovide
ateacherofreadingandwriting?
Pennsylvania
Massachusetts
Virginia
Maryland
RhodeIsland
AP U.S. History After:
ThenewexibleframeworkaffordsschoolstheopportunitytoensurethatAPcoursesintheirstate
arealignedtotheirstatestandardsandlocalhistory.Examquestionsgivestudentstheopportunity
towriteaboutthehistoricalexamplesrequiredbytheirstatestandards.
Note: There are no Common Core State Standards for history or social studies so it is not
possible for the AP U.S. History Framework or Exam to be aligned to the Common Core.
Sample Exam Question:
1. Answera,b,andc.
a) BrieyexplainONEexampleofhowcontactbetweenNativeAmericansandEuropeans
broughtchangestoNativeAmericansocietiesintheperiod1492to1700.
b) BrieyexplainaSECONDexampleofhowcontactbetweenNativeAmericansand
EuropeansbroughtchangestoNativeAmericansocietiesinthesameperiod.
c) BrieyexplainONEexampleofhowNativeAmericansocietiesresistedchangebrought
bycontactwithEuropeansinthesameperiod.
pg 7 of 7 For more information, contact: APInquiries@collegeboard.org
2007
>
2007:TheCollegeBoardconvenesprofessorsandteacherstoformanAPU.S.History
CommissionfocusedonaddressingteachersconcernsthatAPrequiredtoomuch
contentwithoutenoughdepth.
2008
>
2007-2010:APU.S.HistoryDevelopmentCommitteeworksoncurriculardetails,assess-
mentprototypes,andrstdraftofframework.
2009
2010
>
Fall2010:ValidationstudiesofrstdraftofAPU.S.HistoryCurriculumFramework
conductedwith58U.S.historyprofessorsandover400APU.S.Historyteachers.
>
2010-11:TeamsofAPteachersandtheAPU.S.HistoryDevelopmentCommitteework
onrevisingtheframeworkinlightofvalidationdataandcreateguidesforalignmentto
differentstatestandards.
2011
>
2011-12:Firstpilotofredesignedexam.
2012
>
EarlyOctober2012:PublicationofdraftAPU.S.HistoryCurriculumFramework.
2013
>
Spring2013:Secondpilotofredesignedexam.
>
2013-14:TrainingsofconsultantsandAPteachersoncourseandexam
redesignatteacherprofessionaldevelopment;publicationofcourseplanning
andpacingguidesandsamplesyllabi.
2014
>
Winter2014:APCourseAuditopensforredesignedcourse.
>
February2014:PublicationofAPU.S.HistoryCourseandExamDescription.
2015
>
Fall2014:Newcourselaunchesinhighschoolsnationwide.
>
May2015:APU.S.HistoryExamadministration.