Portfolios

Overview

Number of students

Large group

Teacher prep time

One or two hours to design the portfolio structure and purpose, with periodic review of design.

Student time

One hour each time the portfolio is reorganized. One or two hours for completing cover sheets or resumes

Scoring method

Checklist, analytic holistic, focused holistic, self-evaluation

Possible problems

Purpose and methods may be confusing to stakeholders; volume may be mistaken for quality; portfolios are not comparable; worthwhile activities for portfolios may be time-consuming to develop and administer; difficult to use for assessing very specific objectives; assigning a single quantitative score can negate the richness of the portfolio

Possible values

Views of student growth; invites self-evaluation; encourages student and teacher creativity; can show progress toward long-range goals; encourages the use of integrated activities with emphasis on depth of learning, can link learning to the world of work

Frequently Asked Questions

What are assessment portfolios?

Assessment portfolios, like other portfolios, are a collection of work. They are a form of assessment that allows teachers to develop and use stimulating, complex activities that go beyond "covering the book." The multifaceted activities most appropriate for a portfolio correspond to the real world of work and citizenship in ways that skill-building worksheets and short-answer questions cannot. Portfolios can provide views of student growth and invite self-evaluation. Self-evaluation provides students the opportunity to assess the quality of their own work compared to the standards set forth in the TEKS. The portfolio as a learning tool can become a powerful part of a student's education.

What are some different types of assessment portfolios?

A portfolio of best works provides a view of a student's highest levels of achievement. This type of collection shows attainment of specific objectives or long-term goals. A portfolio of works over time permits assessment of progress. This type of collection enables stakeholders, especially students themselves, to see the progress made toward achievement of the TEKS. Preparing for portfolio assessment requires pre-planning, an understanding of the types of portfolios, and a thorough understanding by parents, students, and other stakeholders if it is to be successful.

When should portfolios be scored?

The work in a portfolio can be scored before it is added to a portfolio and then an overall score on the work in the portfolio can be given. Another option is to score the work within the portfolio when the portfolio is complete.

What type of scores can a portfolio receive?

A portfolio can receive a score that depends completely on the match between the student's self-evaluation and the actual quality of work in the portfolio. This score depends more on the student's evaluation of the work and the rationale for adding works to the portfolio than on the quality of the work. A portfolio can receive a score that depends on the quality of the work in the portfolio rather than the student's perceptions of the work. Or, the score can be a composite of these or other factors.

The type of portfolio scoring and method of reporting depends entirely on the purpose of the portfolio. Portfolios may be confusing to stakeholders who may mistake shear volume of work for quality of work. Because the portfolio is a very rich source of information, it should receive a narrative or at least multiple scores rather than a single score.

What is a portfolio of best works?

Like an artist's portfolio, the portfolio of best works contains only the student's best works. The portfolio might center on a single style of work or it might encompass a wide variety of pieces, such as reflective writings, scientific investigations, mathematics problem solving, explanations of concepts, multimedia productions, or any evidence of student achievement. Like any professional portfolio, a student portfolio should have a clear and relevant purpose. The student can be allowed to choose samples to include in the portfolio, either totally or in part, as long as the work included meets the purpose. Also like professional portfolios, the amount of work in the portfolio must be limited, but changes can be made as performance improves. Like all forms of assessment, preparing for portfolio assessment is essential.

What are some examples of focus questions for portfolios of best works?

  • Is the student overrating or underrating the quality of the work?
  • Does the student understand where improvements can be made?
  • Do the chosen samples reflect the purpose of the portfolio?
  • Is the student able to justify the presence of each piece?
  • Do the works in the portfolio illustrate the standards described in the TEKS?
  • Does the student include both long and short term activities?
  • Does the student acknowledge the work of others as well as their own role in completion of group activities.

What are portfolios of works over time?

Portfolios of works over time can actually be two portfolios, one from the beginning work and one from the final work. Portfolios of works over time can also be a single portfolio with beginning work preceding final work.

What are the major values of portfolios of works over time?

Portfolios of works over time are excellent for students who have gotten behind and feel that they are making no progress. With these portfolios progress can be seen. These portfolios can also be eye-openers for students who have achieved high levels compared to their peers, but who have actually increased the quality of their work very little. And last, but far from least, these portfolios benefit average students who can see the strides they have made and can feel a real sense of accomplishment, a feeling that average grades rarely impart. Portfolios of works over time can be portfolios of best works taken at different times and then compared to show growth. Like all forms of assessment, preparing for portfolio assessment is essential.

What are some examples of focus questions for portfolios over time?

  • Does the student understand how much improvement has been made during the course of the assessment period?
  • Is the student overrating or underrating the amount of improvement that has been made?
  • Are increases in content understanding, skills, and behaviors apparent?
  • Are the increases above or below the expected increases?
  • Has the student shown a decrease in achievement? If so, why?

What type of guided student questions can be used with portfolios?

Students should be guided to ask themselves questions like the following as they add to their portfolios. These can be worked into a portfolio cover sheet (sample, pdf 156kb) or discussed as students work on their cover sheet. The questions may also be used with a portfolio best work summary sheet (sample, pdf 100kb) and portfolio over time summary sheet (sample, pdf 96kb) to help students better understand their portfolios.

  • What are my long term and short term goals?
  • How far have I come towards my goals?
  • What new things did I learn by completing this piece of work?
  • What can I do better now than I could before completing this piece?
  • What does this piece show about the progress I have made toward the goals and objectives of this course?
  • What does this piece show that other pieces in my portfolio do not show?
  • If I did this piece over, how would I improve it?
  • (If this was a group project) What was my contribution to this project?
  • How well did I work with other members of the group?
  • What could I do to help the group improve teamwork skills?
  • What were some major contributions to this activity made by others?

How can the portfolio be used as a learning tool?

One way to do this is to ask students to present the portfolio for a simulated job interview or college application. Questioning can center on the student's choice of material, its quality as assessed by the student, and the student's understanding of what is required to get a job or enter college. The job interview technique can augment the teacher's view of students' achievement, especially for students who have poor written communication skills. The simulated interview can show students the need for improving the quality of their work or equip students with more realistic views of their work. Teachers should have a list of questions prepared before the interview, just as employers do. The structured interview can encourage more consistency in the interviews.

Who should review the portfolio?

All stakeholders should review at least a sample of portfolios. However, students and parents should be well informed if outside reviewers are going to be used. Outside reviewers such as business people, scientists, and people in science- related fields can be portfolio reviewers. Student names must be removed or parents and students must agree to leave names visible. Portfolio review can be a vital link to the community. Once community members begin to review real student work, most find it enjoyable and informative. These community members gain a better understanding of what the school is trying to do and will have a much better understanding of student progress. They can view the portfolio in light of their own experience and dispense valuable written or verbal insights to individual students. Care must be taken to keep this process a positive experience for students. Individuals who are over critical or provide only negative comments should not be part of this process.

Having potential employers evaluate portfolios can contribute valuable feedback to students, especially at the middle and high school levels. People in the student's chosen field are in a position to know the real needs of a given career. Students who discuss their portfolios or receive written communication with a person of similar interests view the portfolio and the work as much more authentic. Students begin to understand the need to retain proof of excellence. They are encouraged to begin to develop resumes from the portfolio as they move toward their own goals. If they have no long-range goals, a review of the portfolio by a wide range of community members can supply ideas for future goals. (Note: It is important that outside reviewers know the goals and objectives of the course, the use of portfolios, and the criteria for assessing the portfolios. Also, if names remain on portfolios, care must be taken that parents are well informed of the process and that they give written approval for outside review.)

How can be resumes developed from portfolios be used?

The resumes that may be developed from portfolios with annotated examples of work furnish a relatively quick and easy way to evaluate a portfolio. A teacher familiar with a student's work may need only to skim the exemplars, so that more time may be spent on the descriptions of needs, the annotations or the resume itself. A community reviewer might want to take more time comparing the annotations to the actual work. In this way, the resume forges a link between the school and the world of work. For students about to enter the world of work, the resume has immediate use. For students bound for higher education, there are universities that accept portfolios or even require a portfolio or resume as part of the entrance requirement. In some cases the portfolio is accepted in lieu of test scores.

How might the portfolio be scored?

The work within the portfolio may be assigned an overall course achievement score. This is simply an average of the work or an average of best work. For this type of score a portfolio is really not necessary. The portfolio itself may be assigned a score using a general holistic rubric. Thus, it is possible for students to have work within the portfolio that represents low achievement, but they may receive a 4 on the portfolio itself because they clearly recognize their level of achievement in relation to goals and standards. Teachers and students must clearly understand the difference between a score on the portfolio and a score on the work within the portfolio. Requirements of a portfolio should reflect the general holistic rubric. The requirements should be tailored to match the local curriculum.

What are some examples of portfolio requirements?

These criteria or others like them refine the terms of the general holistic rubric.

Thoroughness Requirements

  • Exemplars of work
  • Explanations of how the work is linked to all goals and/or standards
  • Explanations of how much improvement has been made when using portfolios over time
  • Completed summary sheets

Clarity Requirements

  • No excessive redundancy, "padding"
  • Clear communication

Accuracy Requirements

  • Work matches standards and goals
  • Self rating is accurate when compared to actual work. Student is not over rating or under rating work.

Reasoning Requirements

  • Supporting evidence for inclusion of work

What does a teacher do to prepare for portfolio assessment?

  1. Prepare a statement of the purpose of the portfolio for students.
  2. Make sure all stakeholders especially students and parents understand the purpose. Include a cover sheet design or other appropriate method to introduce the concept of self-evaluation and reflection.
  3. Determine the criteria to be used for choosing work to be included in the portfolio. Students can and should be involved in setting the criteria.
  4. If the portfolio is to be used for studying student growth, create a first best works portfolio to be set aside and compared to the final portfolio. This method prevents a bulging portfolio with mixtures of old and new work. However, it may be advantageous to create a portfolio with beginning work followed by final work. This is especially true when specific skills or knowledge are to be assessed rather than a more global picture of student achievement.
  5. Develop focus questions for portfolios over time and/or focus questions for portfolios of best works.
  6. Develop guided student questions.
  7. Develop similar types of activities for both the beginning and final portfolio to make comparisons easier. Working with teachers in previous grades can provide a continuity of activity types if school-wide goals are appropriate for all grades and portfolios are kept from year to year.
  8. Outline the criteria you will use for judging the portfolio and the method of scoring. Share these with parents and/or community members to use as they evaluate student portfolios.
  9. Decide how to "sell" the use of your portfolio method to other teachers on your team. Be sure you are able to answer the questions regarding how assessment methods should be chosen.
  10. Write down some of the possible weaknesses of your portfolio method.
  11. List other assessments that will be required to complement the portfolio.