At least 30% of Missouri school districts are leveraging this model in an effort to better recruit and retain teachers amid an ongoing shortage. Arkansas and Ohio are jumping on the bandwagon as well—and it's working.

Schools in Little Rock and elsewhere will continue offering the course after the state's education department said it would not count it for college credit.

"We cannot afford that kind of backsliding on a national scale," U.S. Education Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said during a press call outlining tips for colleges and K12 schools on how to work together to ensure a diverse student body.

Arkansas teachers were told just 48 hours before the start of the 2023-24 school year that students would not get credit for the newly-created AP African American Studies, a course that is in high demand elsewhere.