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By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE | Special to the Reporter

NORTH SHELBY – Oak Mountain High School Principal Andrew Gunn shared that recent data shows a significant increase in the number of students who passed at least one AP exam and 76 percent of those who took an AP exam scored a 3 (out of a total of 5) or higher.

Several notable statistics include:

• The number of students sitting for an AP exam has remained consistent over the past four years.
• The total number of AP exams taken has increased, as more students are taking multiple exams.
• The pass rate has increased every year since 2019, with students performing better on AP exams now than before the pandemic.

Oak Mountain High School offers 18 AP courses and 7 Pre-AP courses. Gunn said that of the 1,650 students, 414 were enrolled in at least one AP class. He added that the teachers do an outstanding job identifying and recruiting students for AP classes and providing excellent instruction once they enroll.

“We have very little turnover within our staff, which means our experienced AP teachers have honed their skills over many years,” he said. “They continuously seek ways to grow as educators and are dedicated to supporting our students. We also benefit from a strong feeder pattern, with our three elementary schools, intermediate school, and middle school preparing students well for the rigor of high school. Most importantly, we have highly motivated students and supportive parents who work with us to ensure their children have the opportunity to succeed.”

One of the classes having tremendous success is AP Government/Politics. Of 387 seniors, 150 were enrolled in the AP U.S. Government/Politics class, and 78 percent passed the exam.

Susan Schwartz, who has taught this class for the past 14 years, said these numbers are significantly higher than both the state and global averages.

“Our students were eight points up on the global average and 12 points on the Alabama average,” Schwartz said. “Of the 78 percent that passed, 32 students made a perfect 5. That’s unheard of.”

Schwartz focuses on opening her classroom to 12th grade students who have never had an AP history class before. The AP course is actually a freshman college political psychology class which she describes as rigorous, but helpful in preparing them for college level courses.

“She has worked extremely hard to recruit students to her course who might not have otherwise taken it,” Gunn said. “I believe we are making a real impact in creating an informed citizenry going into an election year.”

Schwartz said the program has continued to grow over the past several years. Her class can only accommodate 150 students, and each one is full for all five of her teaching periods each day.

“There is a lot of demand for her class, even among many students that have never taken an AP course before,” said Gunn. “We try to accommodate as many as possible. Mrs. Schwartz is always willing to take on large classes.”

Of the five units in the class, three are government related and two cover politics. She said it’s even more important in the upcoming school year since 2024 is an election year. Her classes watch and discuss the presidential debates and will learn political efficacy and many of the students will be voting for their very first time in November.

The students participate in many project-based learning activities, including classroom Congress, where they play the role of the House of Representatives in the bill to law process, and the Situation Room, in which they act out what to do in the event of a crisis in America.

Other projects include living out the Articles of Confederation and a trip to Samford each fall to hear oral arguments from the Alabama Supreme Court.

Schwartz said all of the things they do in her classroom shows in the students’ test scores, as they remember what they’ve studied throughout the year when they take the AP exam in April.

“They are great students,” Schwartz said. “These kids are eager to learn and that’s why I love teaching this class. “I’m 63 and could put this down and move on, but the kids keep me coming back.”

Schwartz described her career path as unconventional. She spent the first five years in the classroom before spending over two decades at home raising her sons before returning to teach.

“I did it the right way for me,” she said. “Here I am in my second career and I’m loving it. These kids mean the world to me and I love the 12th grade students,” she said. “They are such great kids and are on the precipice of the rest of their lives. I love them and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Both Schwartz and Gunn agree that the students’ performance on the AP Government exam is especially encouraging upon entering the 2024 election season.

“I know Mrs. Schwartz has helped many students better understand how the government works on all levels and our responsibilities as citizens,” Gunn said. “We are very proud of our students’ performance on all AP exams this past school year and excited to have been part of their journey.”

Many of Schwartz’s former students have majored in political science and are now lawyers. She loves hearing from them during college and beyond and the impact her class had on them.

One of those students is Ryan Hall, a 2020 graduate of Oak Mountain High School. He graduated from Auburn University in December 2023 and is now currently working as the State Capitol Reporter for CBS 42 News in Birmingham and four other stations around the state covering politics in Alabama, from Governor Ivey’s whereabouts to other legislative issues.

Hall said he always knew he wanted to have an aspect of political interest involved in his career, and being a student in Schwatz’s class solidified that decision.

“I can’t imagine not having that foundation of her course…I definitely would not be where I am without that spark she set within me,” Hall said. “She tries to convey the political field to 18 and 19 year olds in a way they’ll be able to get excited about in their own way. Even if they don’t want to pursue it full time, they walk out of that course better being informed.”

Hall spent time over the summer working for a congressman in Washington D.C. He took his binder full of all the documents and information from Schwartz’s class with him there and also used it while he was studying at Auburn.

“If I had gone up there without this course, I would be more lost than I already was,” he said. “I was a lot better off because of her course and instruction than I would have been without it. I completely credit her for laying a foundation and interest for politics.”