CHAPTER 18

Created by:Ellen Harris

Crystal Wueste&

Assessment in Special Education, SPED 4131

Professor Dr. Regina Blair

 April 27, 2004

Portfolios

A systematic collection of student work and related material that depicts a student’s activities, accomplishments, and achievements in one or more school subjects.

Portfolio assessment is an ongoing process.

Types of Portfolios

Process Portfolio may include: journals, reflections, independent work, teacher evaluations, self evaluations

Product Portfolio: short, more accessible documents at mastery level

Celebration Portfolio: Student’s use as mementos of their favorite learning activities and experiences; creative and imaginative

Types of Portfolios (cont.)

Showcase Portfolio: Displays student’s best work; takes time

“Big Books” Portfolio Project: Process elements were sloppy, neat, and final copies of a story

Digital Portfolio: May include text, graphics, video, and audio components; student’s gain computer skills

Why We Use Portfolio Assessment

Advantages• Promotes self-evaluation of student• Measurement based on genuine samples• Student and teacher have shared

responsibilities• Student’s have extensive input in the

process• Cooperative learning

Why We Use Portfolio Assessment (cont.)

Disadvantages:

• Requires extra time to plan and conduct

• Problems with storage

• Subjective evaluation

• Holding portfolio conferences is difficult

Using Portfolios with Students Who Have Learning

Problems• Flexibility gives students opportunities to

demonstrate achievement• Alternative to traditional tests and assignments• Individualized learning activities• Enhanced motivation• Promote mastery learning• Good for students with reading and writing

deficits

Portfolio Assessment Process

Three major steps:

1. Select portfolio contents, both student and teacher selected items

2. Portfolio holders should be durable, creative, low cost, functional, neat, and stylish

3. Typical portfolio contents: Table 18-3, pg566

Portfolio Evaluation Procedures When teachers grade portfolios, they must support their evaluation

with evidence that goes beyond their subjective impressions.

The contents of the portfolio itself are the primary document that provides this evidence.

Portfolio contents should include a series if materials that teachers can use to evaluate what students have learned and how well they learned it.

Well-design portfolios provide more evidence of achievement, and best demonstrate student’s progress over time.

Portfolios include a variety of measurements, but they mostly incorporate the following essential measures:

1. A tracking and evaluation system2. Criteria for evaluating the entire portfolio and its

contents3. Evidence of students self-assessment4. Evidence of portfolio conferences

1. Developing a Management System

2. Scoring Portfolio

3. Rubrics

4. Reliability Considerations

5. Holistic/Analytical Scoring Protocols

6. Internal/External Scoring

7. Student Self-Assessment

Seven Portfolio Evaluation Procedures

Because portfolios vary in different ways, developing a management system helps portfolios be successful.

Examples:1. Reading items in a language portfolio could be placed in one

section, while written expression materials appears in another section.

2. Portfolios can reflect thematic units, or specific curriculum goals.

3. They can appear in chronological order to show progress  However the portfolio is arranged, teachers must develop a

managing system that enables them to keep track of the elements in the portfolio.

For example, checklist can be a great way to help teachers keep track of the elements

Developing a Management System

Teachers Students

Depends on the type of portfolio, and the reason for the assessment.

Teachers set requirements for the number of items, and the specific materials that go into the portfolio.

This standardization helps to develop a reliable scoring system that produces consistent results across students.

However, teachers/students can compromise on the items that should be submitted into the portfolio.

This increases the value of the portfolios as individual learning tools.As well as, the teacher gets a “standard” to grade, and students have autonomy.

Scoring Portfolios

RubricsSet of scoring criteria that describe an array of possible responses

It also provides specific qualities, or characteristics that occur as different levels of performance.

Most portfolio assessments rely on rubrics, such as:ChecklistRating scalesObservation systems

The most successful rubrics provide samples of student responses that

illustrate student performance at below average, average, and above average levels.

Rubrics can provide consistent and effective assessment data with trained scorers.

*Popular statewide assessment systems are base on rubrics

Scoring must be subjective

Teachers must developed rubrics that identify criteria and serve as standards, then judge each portfolio in

reference to these criteria and standards.

Use professional judgment when rating student performance.

Set standards that relate to student’s “learning goals”.

Teachers need to be well trained.

Develop an evaluation scale that list progression of performance standards with representative examples of work at each level of performance

Reliability Considerations

Most teachers ensure accurate assessment by developing one scoring protocol for evaluating all student portfolios.

1.Holistic scoring- involves evaluating the portfolio in its entirely and giving a single overall score. (Mostly use to evaluate larger groups of portfolios)

2.Analytical scoring- involves evaluating each piece separately and combining the individual scores to obtain an overall score. (Tend to be better in small-group situations)

 

There are several factors to determine what scoring would be best:1. Purpose of the portfolio

2. The intended use of the final product 3. The setting in which the students are developing

their portfolios

Holistic and Analytical Protocols

Internal scoring- relies on scorers who have direct contract with the portfolio authors; this includes teachers who score the portfolios of their own students.

External scoring- relies on scorers who have had no contact with the portfolio authors.

1. To ensure reliability, external scoring is the best way to achieve successful scoring.

2. However, it is more time consuming and increases cost.

Internal and External Scoring

Student Self-Assessment

Student self-assessment- and element that distinguishes portfolio assessment from traditional evaluation, is not one specific procedure; it includes various types of reflections and self-evaluations.

It involves:1. Students reviewing their entire portfolio

2. Reflect on a series of revisions

3. Compare two work samples to show growth in a specific topic

4. Self-evaluate a single work sample

Consist of meetings in which students review learning goals and discuss progress is a key element in the portfolio assessment process.

Most conferences are between students and their teachers

They give students opportunities to consider their interests and to access their abilities, such as:

•Reflective discussion •Enable students to participate actively in the assessment process

Portfolio Conferences

Most difficult challenge in portfolio achievement

On average portfolio conferences take about 15 minutes, and teachers should hold four portfolio conferences with each student in a typical academic year.

To save time, teachers can incorporate student-centered learning activities as part of their daily routine.

Or, ask for assistance (if available) through teacher-aide, or parent volunteer.

Scheduling Conference Time

Peer, Small-Groupand

Student-Led Conferences

Peer Conferences- meetings between two students to discuss portfolio goals, activities, and progress.

1. Good for:• Instructional situations• For older students

2. Works best:•At the end of the school year after students have completed individual conferences with their

teachers.

Peer Conferences

Small-Group Conferences- meetings with three to five students.

1. Good for:•Reading and writing groups, or other appropriate group

•Students to discuss their portfolios with peers because they can

received great feedback

2. Works best for:•Teachers when they find it hard to hold individual conferences

Small-Group Conferences

Student-Lead Conferences- allow students to share their progress with their parents in structured conferences.

1. Good for:•Communicating with parents about the learning

activities of their children

•Student’s role in explaining their portfolio to their parents

•Student’s to evaluate and reflect upon their learning

•Improving communication skills with parents and increase student self-reliance

Student-Lead Conferences