Chapter 9: Portfolio Assessment Lecture by: Chris Ross

Understanding the Need for Alternative Assessment & Reporting Systems Using Alternative Assessments Appropriately Used to present a child’s profile of progress

Understanding the Need for Alternative Assessment & Reporting Systems Limitations of Letter Grades & Report Cards Letter grades can reward students for correct answers and discourage risk taking/experimentation Letter grades only measure achievement Reports are changing to be more meaningful and felxible

Portfolio Assessment Purposes for Portfolio Assessment Using portfolios for assessment and evaluation Uses for self-assessment and reflection Uses as a reporting progress mechanism

Organizing Portfolios Types of Portfolios Working portfolio. Collect examples of student work for future evaluation Evaluative portfolio. Teacher is able to make assessment of the student’s progress both formative and summative. Showcase portfolio. Exhibit the child’s bets work. Archival portfolio. Follow students from one year to the next.

Organizing Portfolios Organizing Portfolios Using Developmental Approach Meisels and Steel (1991) Suggest: Art Activities (Fine-Motor Skills) Movement (Gross-Motor Development) Math & Science (Concept Development) Language & Literacy Personal & Social Development

Organizing Portfolios Organizing Portfolios Using a Subject-Area Approach Batzel (1992) Recommends: Required test & accountability measures Samples across curriculum Teacher observations & measures Inventories and other forms Additional items

Setting Up Portfolios Steps in getting Started What is the purpose? How will it be organized? Where will it be stored? What will go in the portfolio?

Setting Up Portfolios Collecting & Organizing the Material Periodically during a grading period, pieces will be selected for the portfolio Sometimes materials might get replaced over time as new materials are added depending on the portfolio’s purpose.

Setting Up Portfolios Selecting Portfolio Assessments Try to keep a balance between process and product. Process being work that reflects their developmental/cognitive skills. Product being the mastery of the skill There should be traditional assessments available.

Setting Up Portfolios Analyzing Portfolio Assessments Periodically parents, teachers and students will review the portfolio to view a student’s progress The teacher must analyze the information that is in the portfolio to prepare. Teachers can use the portfolio to reflect with a student about their development and their interests

Setting Up Portfolios Strategies for Developing Successful Portfolios Buschman (1193) suggests teachers who begin the process do the following: Start small & emphasize quality, not quantity Use photographs, drawings and reflect descriptions to document projects that don’t fit inside the portfolio Make sure each portfolio has a table of contents Be sure students date all their work Select a few work samples yourself Give parents the opportunity to review their child’s portfolio.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Portfolios to Report Student Progress Provide evaluation above and beyond letter grades Include input from the child Organizing and maintaining Accountability and grading portfolios Is there validity Advantages Disadvantages

Developing Quality Portfolio Assessments Herman, Aschbacher & Winters (1992) provide six suggestions to help: How representative is the work included in the portfolio of what students can really do? Do the portfolio pieces represent coached work? Independent work? Group work? Are they identified as to the amount of support students received? Do the evaluation criteria for each piece and the portfolio as a whole represent the most relevant or useful dimensions of student work? How well do portfolio pieces match important instructional targets or authentic tasks? Do tasks or some part of them require extraneous abilities? Is there a method for ensuring that portfolios are reviewed consistently and criteria applied accurately?

Developing Quality Portfolio Assessments Hanson & Gilkerson (1999) propose meaning portfolios: Be clearly linked with instructional objectives Be an ongoing assessment system Avoid becoming a teacher-manufactured document Be performance based; emphasize purposeful learning; be ongoing in all cultural contexts of home, school and community.

Strategies for Reporting Student Progress Writing a Narrative Report Horn-Wingerd (1992) described a narrative report as having: Descriptions of examples of the child’s behavior Examples of what the child can do Concerns the teacher may have about the child’s progress Goals and plans for the child in the future

Strategies for Reporting Student Progress Writing a Narrative Report Horm-Wingerd (1992) suggest the following procedure when writing narrative reports: Open with an overall statement describing the child’s progress in a broad development area since the last report or conference Give a specific example of behavior to serve as your global description of change and to help parents understand exactly what you are describing State your plans If appropriate, note what the parents can do at home to facilitate their child’s development.

Model Assessment & Reporting Systems Project Spectrum Work Sampling System Preschool Child Observation Record Teacher-Designed Systems