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I’ll admit it: in my early days, I played it safe. I’d flip through the publisher’s test, checking off the concepts I’d managed to squeeze into the syllabus just to make sure nobody failed some obscure “debits and credits” question. Did it work? Kind of. Did the kids retain any of it two weeks after the test? Probably not.
But then project-based learning—and more importantly, project-based assessment—started swirling around in department meetings and on teaching blogs. I’ll be honest: At first, I jumped on project-based assessments before I overhauled every lesson. And let me tell you, that shift was everything. That’s actually what led me down the rabbit hole of integrating more projects during the year, once I saw my students thrive in the capstone environment.
What I didn’t expect was how much confidence my students gained when they tackled a real-world project instead of melting into puddles over bubble sheets. There’s something magical about watching a kid realize, “Wait, all the stuff we learned actually fits together!” Light bulbs go off left and right as they connect the dots—whether it’s for marketing, accounting, entrepreneurship, or even sports and entertainment marketing.
I’m always getting asked, “Hey Denise, do your course bundles include assessments?” (Teacher life, am I right?) These days, I design capstones for practically every course I sell, and honestly, I think every teacher should tailor their own. It’s so much more rewarding to see a student apply everything in a scenario that feels real. I even made little intro videos (sometimes in quirky places like Central Park, NY, surrounded by food trucks) to give them context and get their creative juices flowing.
For me, a true capstone is summative (brings the whole year together) and real-world. I build mine around themes: food trucks, event planning, launching a startup—a touch more exciting than a 50-question exam! The prompts are detailed so each student’s response is unique. One kid might design a barbecue truck, another a mobile pet groomer. They go so much deeper than regurgitating notes—they have to actually research, make decisions, and calculate investments or profits, just like in a real business.
A typical project will include everything from a business briefing, branding, and menu creation, to a full marketing mix, SWOT analysis, and even budgeting. Sometimes, they have to design a social media campaign or pitch for a spot at a local festival. I always include a rubric (editable, of course) so grading is clear and fair, but also to keep myself honest about what I’m valuing.
And here’s the best part: There’s almost zero test anxiety in my room in May. Instead of a quiet, nervous classroom, there’s chatter—kids bouncing ideas around, sharing resources, and actually enjoying the process. I even take my students outside if I can (chalk accounting on the sidewalk, paper airplane contests for marketing—yes, it’s as fun as it sounds).
Look, by the time May rolls around, we’re all dreaming of summer, students included. But instead of limping to the finish line, I want my students to finish strong and realize just how far they’ve come. It’s our time to sit back a little and let them show us what they can do.
So, if you’re tired of the same old tests, trust me—give a capstone a shot. Watch your students surprise themselves, and you might just fall a little deeper in love with teaching (and learning) too.
For a list of all my capstone projects and final assessments, go to the END OF YEAR/SEMESTER section of my web shop.
To learn more, listen to Episode 24: Why I Ditched the Year-End Test of my podcast ‘The Art of Teaching Business’. You can stream my podcast straight from my website. My podcast is also available on all the major stream platforms including Apple Podcast and Spotify.
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