Italian-American groups and the Italian ambassador to the United States are working to save the Italian Advanced Placement test, The Washington Post reported this morning.

The College Board announced this spring that it would eliminate the test after the 2008-9 academic year, along with the exams in French literature, Latin literature, and computer-science AB, because of low participation. While other AP tests are available in French, Latin, and computer science, there is only one Italian test. It has been offered since 2006.

The Italian ambassador, Giovanni Castellaneta, and the College Board’s president, Gaston Caperton, announced in June that a task force had been formed to attempt to raise the money needed to continue the test, according to the Post. Italian Embassy officials told the newspaper they expected to learn this month how much money was needed. They said the money would have to be raised by October. —Beckie Supiano