This year, June Morris’s AP Human Geography class has two nontraditional students: freshmen. Allie Willard and Ava Moon, both of whom attended middle school at Waldorf in Corvallis, were interested in challenging themselves beyond the traditional social studies curriculum offered here at WAHS.

Nationwide, Morris noted AP Human Geography is an AP class traditionally oriented towards freshmen, but unlike other school districts, Albany’s middle schools do not offer a pre-AP program–a set of curricula designed to prepare students for AP classes right off the bat in high school. While both students are motivated, they are part of a growing number of students taking AP classes at WAHS.

With 15 out of the COllege Board’s 34 total AP courses available at WAHS and very high enrollment rates, students experience the chance to learn challenging, college-level material in a high school setting with the chance to earn college credit and have better opportunities for college admission and professional expertise.

Nevertheless, AP courses often prove difficult, and for freshmen at least, Morris believes “many are best off waiting a year before tackling such coursework.” Nonetheless, she sees pathways forward for more freshmen in AP courses, noting “AP Human Geography has a legacy of being taught to freshman nationwide”, though she notes a process to accept students into such a course is as of yet unclear. She also stresses the need to keep the course up to high standards, and believes that while “sufficiently motivated freshman perform just as well as sophomores”, teachers need to ensure AP classes stay at the college level, rather than easing demands on students.

On the other end of the age spectrum, english teacher Blain Willard wants to introduce an AP government course next year for seniors, as an alternative to the traditional American Government class. One of the most common AP course offerings nationwide, this class gives a more in-depth approach to the nuances and functions of American government and politics.