Most Liberty students who are familiar with AP (Advanced Placement) classes are also familiar with taking the AP tests in the gym, listening to bells ringing and doors shutting in nearby rooms. This year marks a change for Liberty AP test takers, starting when Liberty School Counseling sent out an email on April 22, announcing that the test will now be taking place at the Iowa Community School District Center for Innovation (CFI) building.
The email stated that this change was due to a multitude of reasons, including a better environment for test takers, less counseling staff needed for proctors, lowered costs and a centralized testing space. City High students also made the change and took their exams in the same room in the CFI building as Liberty students.
Liberty is about 12-15 minutes away from the CFI building, but not everyone has accessible transportation. Liberty was only able to offer transportation after the AM tests back to Liberty and for PM tests to Liberty, posing an issue for students and families without a reliable transportation plan. However, the AP Human Geography test was held at Liberty, since it is primarily an underclassman class, and those students may not have had a driver’s license yet.
Another new change for AP testing was test takers being excused for the entire day, instead of just the first or last three periods, depending on when tests were scheduled.
The new change in location provided a different environment for Liberty test takers and also introduced them to the new building. Originally an ACT building, the ICCSD bought the building recently and officially opened this school year. The ICCSD Center for Innovation is home to many different programs, such as the Junior Achievement Dream Accelerator, Kirkwood dual enrollment Career Academies, the two-year Kirkwood dual enrollment Associates degree program and more. Introducing ICCSD students into the building early not only can help grow these programs but also help AP test takers take exams in a different environment.
Peyten Van Dyke, 11, (she/her) is enrolled in the Kirkwood dual enrollment Career Academies next year, and she describes how getting to see the building was helpful for her situation.
“Since I’m dual-enrolling there next year, I got to see the building and understand the layout, so I know where to go next year,” Van Dyke said.
Ryan Shileny (he/him), 11 , noted that taking the exam at the CFI was beneficial to his testing experience, but in a different way from Van Dyke.
“I liked taking AP tests at the alternate location because it offered a bigger space with much more room for everyone. It also created an environment that was quiet because there is no bells going off and people walking through the halls during passing time,” Shileny said.
Lucy Powers, 11, (she/her) agreed with Shileny, explaining that taking exams in the gym comes with lots of interruptions.
“I like the new building. I thought it was better than doing it at Liberty for sure, due to classrooms, bells and all the other distractions,” Powers said.
Taking AP tests at the ICCSD Center for Innovation marked a change in the way AP tests have historically worked. AP test scores come out in early July, and Liberty staff and students will have the chance to see if taking the AP exam at the CFI building with fewer distractions improved their test scores.
