Integrating Performance-Based Portfolios into
Coursework
Association of Teacher EducatorsJacksonville, FloridaFebruary 17, 2003
Department of Secondary & Middle Grades Education
Kim Loomis, Associate Professor of Middle Grades Science Education & CETL Fellow
Lynn Stallings, Associate Professor of Middle Grades Mathematics Education & Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Marj Economopoulos, Associate Professor of Middle Grades Mathematics Education & Dept Chair
Nita Paris, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology & Graduate Program Coordinator
Overview
What did we know? What did we learn? How does it play out in different
courses? What issues are we still grappling
with?
We know that . . .
We live in a land of performance outcomes. Teacher education programs have conceptual
frameworks. Teacher education programs need to collect
data on students’ progress throughout the program.
Portfolios are a logical solution. Challenge: Integrate portfolios throughout the
program to provide evidence that teacher candidates are achieving performance outcomes!
Questions we started with . . .
How do we help candidates understand what portfolios are and what their purpose is?
When do we do this and when should our candidates start their portfolios?
What format and media should we use? How should our candidates organize their
portfolios and select evidence? How much guidance should we give candidates? When and how should portfolios be evaluated? What impact should the evaluation have?
What we did:
Four “Domains” Learners Content Pedagogy Professionalism
Four Levels of Proficiency L1 – No evidence L2 – Little evidence L3 – Clear evidence L4 – Clear and consistent
evidence
Created evaluation instrument reflective of the conceptual framework – The Candidate Performance Instrument (CPI)
More of what we did:
Correlated course objectives and assignments to the CPI (evaluation instrument).
Had candidates create portfolios in required courses.
Took the portfolios up for evaluation at several points in the program.
What we learned:
Candidates need orientation. Candidates need reassurance. If you tell them what you want, that’s all
you’ll get. Consistent organization makes
evaluation easier. Plastic sheaths make the pages easy to
turn, but hard to write on. Develop a rubric.
More of what we learned:
We can’t have portfolios from Every student Every class Every semester
Portfolios get more professional as candidates progress.
CANDIDATES MAKE CONNECTIONS!
Which domains are addressed in the course Evidence Narratives Organization
An Introductory Course…Introduction to Education - Required for Admission to Teacher Education Introduce the CF, CPI and correlation
table in the syllabus. Introduce the whole concept of a portfolio.
Evaluate at the end of the course for S/U grade.
An Upper Level Course . . . Learning, Motivation, and Classroom Management
Go over correlation table in the syllabus.
Acknowledge activities particularly appropriate to include as evidence.
Assign course evidence narrative.
Evaluate course evidence narrative S/U or to impact course grade.
A Content Course . . . Mathematics for Middle Grades Teachers Addressed only content and
professionalism outcomes. As MGE teacher candidates develop their expertise as effective classroom teachers who facilitate learning in all students, they
Domain 2: Mathematics Content Outcome 2.1: Possess strong knowledge of discipline
content, methods of inquiry, connections to other disciplines, and applications in life situations.
Outcome 2.2: Possess in depth content understanding that allows use of multiple explanations to help learners understand the discipline content.
Domain 4 Professionalism Outcome 4.5 Use effective communication skills.
A Content Course . . . Mathematics for Middle Grades Teachers Communicated (negotiated) the
assignment with rubrics.
A Content Course . . . Mathematics for Middle Grades Teachers Kept revising the rubric to help them
understand how to develop a portfolio. Level 1: Portfolio offers little or no evidence or no
narrative. Level 2: Portfolio provides evidence and narrative,
but narrative doesn’t explain how the evidence supports the outcome.
Level 3: Portfolio provides evidence and a narrative that explains how evidence supports outcome.
Level 4: Portfolio provides more than one piece of evidence and a narrative that explains how the evidence supports the outcomes.
A Content Course . . . Mathematics for Middle Grades Teachers Kept revising the rubric to help
them understand the outcomes too.
A Content Course . . . Mathematics for Middle Grades Teachers
Evidence could come from course or
any other relevant experience. Students had varying levels of prior
mathematical experiences. Those with a mathematics concentration had to present more evidence.
Synergy of building upon work being done by colleagues concurrently.
The Methods Block …
Go over correlation table in the syllabus.
Acknowledge activities particularly appropriate to include as evidence.
Evaluate portfolios using the CPI to impact final grade. (Also impacts admission to student teaching.)
Save some for evidence for accreditation review!
Student Teaching
Go over correlation table in syllabus. Collect portfolios at the end of the
semester to inform the evaluation instrument for the S/U evaluation for student teaching.
(Select exemplary portfolios at various levels to be copied and saved for NCATE!)
Issues: Now & Future
Metaphors that define the portfolio Paint-by-number kit Coloring book Expressionist painting
Consistency vs Academic Freedom Accreditation/Standards
Helpfulness Potential Hindrances
Issues: Now & Future
Selecting portfolios as samples Storing evidence Media
Paper notebooks Web based Proprietary software: Live text
Piloting and some samples
Integrating Performance-Based Portfolios into
Coursework
Q & A