You may have seen the roller coasters in the media center. Mrs. Dupree’s analytical class designed roller coasters for their final exams and then presented their vision shark-tank style to a panel of judges. Senior Tesha Bellton’s roller coaster design and presentation impressed the judges.

Holly Bradshaw, a current analytical math class student, said, “I enjoy the class. It gives the kids who aren’t “godly” at math a chance to ready themselves for pre-cal content. This will help them with harder math classes later in high school and eventually in college. I’m really excited about the prospect of making roller coasters for the final exam this semester. I can show what I know without the type of test that normally stresses me out.”

Not all tests are multiple choice. In life, there are times when being prepared for multiple choice tests can come in handy. Most people will need to use design thinking and presentation skills in college in life, and alternative testing gives students the chance to practice these skills while showcasing their knowledge of the content. An authentic test like the one in analytical math “integrates the assessment of traditional academic content with the knowledge of skills important to lifelong learning using a variety of techniques, including ‘real world’ situations.”

More classes should consider incorporating other forms of assessing students that don’t involve a Scantron.