Teacher's Guide Portfolio Assesment Guidelines
OVERVIEW
The student portfolio is a collection of materials that exhibits their mastery of skills in a variety of areas including specific knowledge base, vocabulary, social participation and collaboration, analysis, and critical thinking. The contents are a combination of student chosen material, what they consider to be the best work they have done over a given period of time, and, some required material. The material will follow guidelines that express general criteria for evaluation. The guidelines are determined by the teacher, who has an idea of the types of evidence the student will be expected to include, with the activity and projects already designed to meet these goals. A way to share with peers, teachers and parents, portfolios make it easier to evaluate and grade based on student growth rather than competition with other students, fostering collaboration.
PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATION
Students should be encouraged to design their own portfolios, reflecting their unique sense in creativity and originality. The portfolio should include the following:
- Personalized cover and introductory page
- Table of contents
- Guidelines for types of items required and suggested to include (See sample chart below)
- Student’s selections
- Letter from student concluding what they feel they learned
PORTFOLIO EVALUATION
Teachers should use multiple scoring strategies to evaluate students’ progress. Criteria for a finished portfolio might include several of the following:
- Thoughtfulness (evidence of student’s consideration of their own comprehension, reflection, and productive critical thinking skills
- Growth and development in relationship to key expectancies and indicators
- Understanding and application of key processes
- Completeness, correctness and appropriateness of items included in portfolio
- Diversity of entries, using a variety of learning activities
RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENTS
teachersvision.com
"Introduction to Portfolios" http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lesson-plans/lesson-4528.html?detoured=1
Annenberg Foundation/ Center for Public Broadcasting
http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/socialstudies/session7/explore.html
- Portfolios
Invariably, proponents of performance assessment also advocate the use of student portfolios. In doing so, they also remind us that a portfolio is more than a folder stuffed with student papers, video tapes, progress reports, or related materials. It must be a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of a student’s efforts, progress, or achievement in a given area over a period of time. If it is to be useful, specific design criteria also must be used to create and maintain a portfolio system.
Typically, proponents of portfolios suggest two reasons for their use. The first reason reflects dissatisfaction with the kind of information typically provided to students, parents, teachers, and members of the community about what students have learned or are able to do. As examples, we are reminded that traditional grading systems (“A’s”, “B’s”, etc. ) or test scores (percentile scores or percent correct) tell us almost nothing about what a student has learned or is able to do.
Second, it is argued that a well-designed portfolio system, which requires students to participate in the selection process and to think about their work, can accomplish several important purposes: it can motivate students; it can provide explicit examples to parents, teachers, and others of what students know and are able to do; it allows students to chart their growth over time and to self-assess their progress; and, it encourages students to engage in self-reflection.
Frazier and Paulson (1992) argue that the primary worth of portfolios is that they allow students the opportunity to evaluate their work. Further, “… portfolio assessment offers students a way to take charge of their learning; it also encourages ownership, pride, and high self-esteem” (p. 64).
(An excerpt from Wisconsin Education Association Council, Performance Assessment, Education Issues Series, May 1996.)