PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT
Key Points
• Portfolio assessments require the
accumulation of evidence gathered over
time.
• Many subject areas or specific classroom
settings view assessment of portfolios as
having a different focus.
• Portfolio reveals the thinking processes
of students as they progress through
learning.
• Portfolio accentuates the strengths of the
students, not their weaknesses.
• Portfolio assessment is time consuming,
thus, it must be well-planned.
Portfolio Assessments
• purposeful, organized collection of
student work that can be used to
describe efforts, progress, or
achievement.
➢ The idea of the academic portfolio is
derived from an artist’s or writer’s
portfolio.
➢ Provide a means for students to show
what they can really do; they are
considered to be based on the “real
world.”
➢ Student performances or products are
compiled in an effort to show
accomplishments or improvement
over time.
➢ Are not simply composed of random
work samples, nor is everything
included; they represent a purposeful
collection of work.
➢ Several features differentiate them
from work sample folders:
a. students must be included in the
Ideal Format
process
b. criteria for selection of work must
be identified
c. criteria for judging value of work
must be developed
d. evidence of student reflection
must exist
➢ Teachers provide guidelines and work
collaboratively with students to identify
goals of the portfolio and work samples
to be included.
➢ Both teacher and student have
continuous access to its contents (much
more student-centered than other forms
of classroom assessment).
➢ Can be adapted to meet individual
instructional needs (each portfolio is
treated individually).
➢ Student reflections provide students with
opportunities to think about how they
think.
a. Many students are not accustomed to
this idea.
➢ Are seen by many as a very good method
for showing both methods and thinking
used by a student, as well as the final
product.
➢ Different from other forms of
assessment, portfolios tend to focus on
student achievements, not mistakes.
➢ Portfolios accentuate student strengths.
➢ Can be an extremely time-consuming
endeavor.
a. The review process (continual
examination of portfolio along with
meetings with individual students).
• Three main features of any form of
portfolio assessment:
a. collection of student work must
have a specific purpose
b. students must be actively involved
in the process of selecting work to
be included
c. students must actively engage in
self-reflection
• Designed to meet two major objectives:
a. Portfolio should model personal
responsibility in reflecting on one’s
own work.
b. Portfolio should document student
growth and development over time.
 • Three major components:
a. documentation of development of
major works
b. evidence of range of student work
c. student reflections
Creating Portfolios
• Issues in the Creation of Portfolios
➢ Teachers must be clear about the
purpose of portfolios. Can dictate
which type of portfolio is used.
➢ Criteria to be used to assess work
samples must be specified.
➢ Work samples must parallel
instructional objectives and
instruction that occurred.
➢ Logistical decisions regarding storage
of portfolios.
➢ Time frame for review should be
specified at outset.
➢ Consider providing assistance with
student reflections.
➢ Care must be taken when scoring
portfolios.
• Decisions on Content
➢ In most situations, students hold
primary responsibility for selecting the
content of portfolios (often in
collaboration with the teacher).
➢ However, the teacher must make
clear the specific criteria to be met by
the samples.
➢ No real limit to what can be included
in a portfolio.
➢ There must be alignment between
goals, objectives for instruction, and
the student products that serve as the
basis for assessment.
Types of Portfolios
1. Documentation Portfolio
• Purpose is to provide an ongoing
record of student progress.
• Emphasis is on accumulation of
evidence (e.g., effort, progress,
achievement)
• Focus is holistic.
2. Showcase Portfolio
• Portfolio is to highlight and display
accomplishments.
• Include student’s best or favorite
work.
• Samples should demonstrate highest
levels of achievement.
• Student reflection is key in this type of
portfolio.
3. Class Portfolio
• Summary document used to illustrate
accomplishments of an entire class.
• No student reflections included.
• Used to report to parents and
administrators.
4. Evaluation Portfolio
• Used exclusively to report the general
public or government agencies (a
result of grant projects, curriculum
projects, etc.)
Factors to Consider in Implementing
Portfolio Assessment (Mueller, 2010)
• Purpose
• Audience
• Content
• Process: What processes (e.g. selection
of work to be included, reflection of work,
conferencing) will be engaged in during
the development of portfolio?
• Management: How will time and
materials be managed in the
development of the portfolio?
• Communication: How and when will the
portfolio be shared with pertinent
audiences? When you will give the
feedback?
• Evaluation: If the portfolio is to be used
for evaluation, when and how should it be
evaluated?
Validity and Reliability of Portfolio
Assessments
Validity
 • Important concerns:
➢ Specific student capabilities to be
represented by samples must be
determined in advance.
➢ Selected works must represent the
entire domain of the subject area.
➢ Scoring rubric must match the work
included in the portfolio.
Reliability
• Consistency is interpreted as interrater
agreement.
• Multiple raters of a sample of portfolios
can facilitate this.
• Since reliability tends to be low, portfolios
should not be used as sole means of
assessing student performance.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Portfolio

Assessment

Advantages
• Substantial involvement of students in
the process.
• Can show student growth over time, as
opposed to single “snapshot.”
• Foster communication between teachers
and students.
• Require a shift in roles for teachers and
students.
Limitations
• Time-intensive.
• Labor-intensive.
• Logistical issues of storage.
• Weaknesses with respect to validity and
reliability.