A last-ditch fundraising effort to keep the Advanced Placement program in Italian language and culture alive will not be enough to continue the classes and tests beyond this school year, the College Board announced this month.
The language was added to the slate of more than three dozen AP subjects in 2005-06 under plans to double the number of language courses and assessments offered by the College Board. Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic were also added, reflecting the demands of the business world, government agencies, and development groups for experts in those languages.
Continuation of the Italian program depended on advocacy groups’ raising about $1.5 million, a large portion of which was supposed to come from the Republic of Italy, according to officials with the New York City-based board. Despite what the board called “heroic” efforts by the groups, including the Italian Language Foundation, funding came up short. The College Board will also phase out tests in Latin literature, French literature, and computer science AB after this school year. (“College Board Intends to Drop AP Programs in Four Subjects,” April 9, 2008.)
