A portfolio is a meaningful collection of student work that tells the story of student achievement or growth. There are two basic reasons for doing portfolios--assessment or instruction. Benefits for using portfolios in instruction include the development of students self-reflection, critical thinking, responsibility for learning, and content area skills and knowledge. Assessment use of portfolios, a collection of multiple samples of student work over time, enable one to: (1) get a broader, more in-depth look at what students know and can do; (2) base assessment on more "authentic" work; (3) have a supplement or alternative to report cards and standardized tests; and (4) have a better way to communicate about student progress to parents. Three common assessment uses of portfolios are: (1) certification of competence; (2) tracking growth over time; and (3) accountability. Strong portfolio systems are characterized by a clear vision of the student skills to be addressed, student involvement in selecting what goes into the portfolio, use of criteria to define quality performance and to provide a basis for communication, and self-reflection through which students share what they think and feel about their work, their learning environment, and themselves. (JBJ)