Bethpage Union Free School District in New York is a high-performing district by almost any current accountability measure. Yet administrators and teachers worried that they were not doing enough to prepare their students as critical thinkers for the 21st century. Inspired by the curriculum framework of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the…

A Durham, New Hampshire, research team successfully pilot-tested an alternative to holistically scored, timed writing samples that corrects some evaluation shortcomings without added cost. The team used portfolios to measure production, perception, and reflection across a population of 27 randomly selected fifth graders. This method proved…

Defines "portfolio" as an intersection of instruction and assessment and presents guidelines for using portfolios in self-directed learning. Portfolio assessment offers students a concrete way to value their own work. A portfolio is separate from a student's cumulative folder, conveys the student's activities, may have multiple purposes, and…

In California schools, more teachers are relying on portfolios to put authentic student work at the center of education. A San Diego teacher describes how elementary and middle school teachers team up to evaluate student writing projects. Instead of being relegated to storage bins or scrapbooks, the portfolios now showcase students' best efforts.…

In their search for alternatives to standardized assessment, a consortium of Pittsburgh administrators, teachers, and researchers discovered the value of portfolios gathered by artists, musicians, and writers. Now their students gather portfolios consisting of biographies of works, a range of works, and their own reflections. Includes five…

In a New Hampshire school, literacy portfolios enable students to plan a relevant curriculum for themselves. After learning what each student values, teachers seek ways to honor students' concerns and outside interests. Instead of passively awaiting the next assignment, students make their own plans and, with teacher coaching, become better…

Developing their own criteria for authentic learning prompted several teachers of a three-hour interdisciplinary block combining biology, U.S. history, and American literature to critique old, favorite assignments and develop new, more powerful ones for their tenth graders. Book reports and Civil War battle research yielded to more authentic and…

At one Illinois elementary school, student portfolios have been a powerful vehicle for understanding what students know and understand about standards. Before developing a portfolio, educators should listen to children as they evaluate others' accomplishments and encourage conversations and reflections that affirm students' sense of competence.…

The Rural Educational Alliance for Collaborative Humanities (REACH) Program, designed to enrich humanities study in rural South Carolina schools, encourages youngsters to explore their communities' history and culture, thereby connecting rural schools to community life. This article praises assessment as theater and urges its use in other…

Dissatisfied with mandated standardized assessment modes, an Illinois elementary school began an alternative assessment program incorporating Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. The assessment process became more meaningful through using learning experience forms and "portfolio evenings," in which children present their…

Assisted by a state grant, teachers and students at a rural Wyoming elementary school are using a laser disc portfolio assessment system. Recognizing that child development requires more than cognitive growth, students, staff, and parents will use the new system to determine children's growth in verbal ability, physical accomplishment, artistic…

Teaching portfolios are not just scrapbooks of random assignments and student work samples, but represent teachers' evolving reflections and analyses measured against rigorous standards. Thoughtful reflection, not a color printer, is the key to portfolio success. Tips on assembling suitable "artifacts" and handling anxiety and time…

Portfolios give teachers insights into their students' growth not possible through traditional assessment measures. The portfolio concept is feasible if students become immersed in reading, writing, speaking, and listening and are given sufficient time, project choices, and positive reinforcement. Educators should nurture self-evaluation of…

Teaching portfolios are making their way into today's classrooms in three important ways: as habits of mind helping teachers define good practice; as processes teachers use for reflecting on their own teaching and learning; and as new teaching strategies mirroring student learning practices. (MLH)

Describes how an instructor used portfolios to help graduate students in elementary and early childhood education class in Korea use personal reflection and classroom observation to develop individualized approach to instruction. (PKP)