Liberty has always offered a plethora of computer science classes, but for the first time, students now have the option to use that knowledge to become certified in various topics.
“The district has partnered with Certiport to offer students the ability to get certifications in some of the classes we teach,” computer science teacher Jeffrey Woffinden said.
He explained that this opportunity is still in its early stages.
“This is new – it’s kind of a trial run. We’ll see how it goes,” Woffinden said.
The certifications offered span several core areas within computer science.
“There are three things in computer science that are happening: computational thinking, Java programming, and cybersecurity,” Woffinden said.
And the timing of the tests has been carefully thought out and planned to make it easier for students.
“It’ll be after AP exams, probably towards the end of May, and we’ll be doing it in class,” Woffinden said.
For students who might still be skeptical, Woffinden notes that there’s no downside to taking the tests.
“It’s free to take, and I’m offering it to all my students,” Woffiden said.
But while participation may be highly accessible, passing the test will require a solid grasp of the material.
“You have to score 70% or higher to get the certification,” Woffinden said.
However, Woffinden is confident in his students’ abilities.
“I’ve done the tests myself already, and they’re pretty straightforward for what we teach.” Woffinden said. “There’s just a couple things in cybersecurity that I’ll have to teach, but for the most part, everything’s already been taught.”
And while anyone has the opportunity to become certified, the certifications might carry added value for people taking certain paths.
“Not everyone is going to go to college. Some people might go straight to the workforce, and having certifications certainly isn’t a bad thing,” Woffinden said.
He reiterated that students don’t stand to lose anything by taking the test.
“What’s the worst that could happen? You take the test and you don’t score 70%, but you didn’t pay anything, so all you lost is 40 minutes of your life,” Woffinden said.
