Staff photo.
Mountain Brook City Schools
City of Mountian Brook
Mountain Brook High School students once again posted standout academic results across state and national assessments during the 2024–2025 school year. From elementary ACAP benchmarks to high school AP exams and ACT scores, Mountain Brook students outpaced state and national averages in nearly every category — reinforcing the district’s longstanding focus on academic rigor and student readiness.
“We don’t hang our hat on test scores each year; however, we are pleased with the results from our students and their ability to take their classroom learning and succeed in a testing environment,” Superintendent Dicky Barlow said. “We want to ensure that each one of our students have access and opportunity to do his or her best in every aspect of every day.”
Strong ACAP results
Students in grades 2 through 8 took the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, or ACAP, in the spring. Mountain Brook students exceeded state averages in every grade and subject tested — reading, math and science — often by wide margins.
In English language arts, Mountain Brook students outperformed the state by 40 percentage points or more in all grade levels. Fifth grade students posted the highest scores, with 98 percent meeting the benchmark and 74 percent exceeding it.
In math, 82 percent of students across all grades met the benchmark, while 35 percent exceeded it. In second grade, 88 percent met the standard and 44 percent exceeded it.
Science testing is administered to students in grades 4, 6 and 8. Mountain Brook students again outpaced statewide scores by more than double in each grade. For example, 85 percent of eighth graders met the science benchmark, compared to just 41 percent statewide.
ACT and PreACT above national norms
Mountain Brook High School sophomores and juniors also posted strong college readiness indicators. Sophomores scored an average of 21.7 on the PreACT — well above the national average of 17.0. Juniors taking the ACT with Writing in the spring scored an average of 25.1, compared to 18.0 statewide and 19.6 nationally.
PSAT and National Merit honors
Ten Mountain Brook students earned National Merit Semifinalist status in 2025 by scoring between 1400 and 1520 on the PSAT. The average PSAT score for MBHS students was 1086 — well above the national average of 949.
Advanced Placement success
Mountain Brook High School administered 1,212 AP exams to students last year across 27 different AP courses. Of those tests, 91 percent received a passing score of 3 or higher — the school’s highest percentage in the last four years. By comparison, the global average was 73 percent.
