Assessing and

Evaluating the
Portfolios

The Portfolio as an Assessment

Tool
A portfolio is a collection of student work
with a common theme or purpose. The use
of portfolios is not new. Portfolios have
been common in the fine and performing
arts for years in seeking support for ones
work, to document change or improvement
in style and performance, or to gain
admission to special schools.

The Portfolio as an Assessment

Tool
Portfolios are often described as a more
authentic means of assessment than the
traditional classroom test. Rather than
showing that the learner knows what has
been taught, the portfolio demonstrates
that the student can do what has been
taught.

Portfolio Assessment
For example, we may identify the
component parts of a short story on an
objective test. But the inclusion of a
short story in a portfolio documents our
ability to write a short story.

 According to Paulson, Paulson and Meyer,

(1991, p. 63): "Portfolios offer a way of
assessing student learning that is different
than traditional methods. Portfolio
assessment provides the teacher and
students an opportunity to observe
students in a broader context: taking risks,
developing creative solutions, and
learning to make judgments about their
own performances."

Portfolio Assessment
However, describing portfolio assessment
as authentic suggests that other forms of
assessment are less valid, or
inappropriate. That is not the case.
Different methods of assessment are
useful for different purposes. Portfolio
assessment is most appropriate when
learning can be best demonstrated
through a product.

 Decide on a purpose or theme. General

assessment alone is not a sufficient goal for a
portfolio. It must be decided specifically what is
to be assessed. Portfolios are most useful for
addressing the students ability to apply what
has been learned. Therefore, a useful question
to consider is, What skills or techniques do I
want the students to learn to apply? The answer
to this question can often be found in the school
curriculum.

 Consider what samples.

Consider what samples of student work
might best illustrate the application of the
standard or educational goal in question.
Written work samples, of course, come
to mind. However, videotapes, pictures
of products or activities, and testimonials
are only a few of the many different ways
to document achievement.

 Determine how samples will be selected.

A range of procedures can be utilized
here. Students, maybe in conjunction
with parents and teachers, might select
work to be included, or a specific type of
sample might be required by the teacher,
the school, or the school system.

 Decide whether to assess the process and

the product or the product only.
Assessing the process would require some
documentation regarding how the learner
developed the product. For example, did
the student use the process for planning a
short story or utilizing the experimental
method that was taught in class? Was it used
correctly? Evaluation of the process will require a
procedure for accurately documenting the process
used. The documentation could include a log or
video of the steps or an interview with the student.

 Develop an appropriate scoring system.

Usually this is best done through the use of
a rubric, a point scale with descriptors that
explain how the work will be evaluated.
Points are allotted with the highest quality
work getting the most points. If the
descriptors are clear and specific, they
become goals for which the student can
aim. There should be a separate scale for
each standard being evaluated.

 Share the scoring system with the

students. Qualitative descriptors of how
the student will be evaluated, known in
advance, can guide learning and
performance. Engage the learner in a
discussion of the product. Through the
process of discussion the teacher and
the learner can explore the material in
more depth, exchange feelings and
attitudes

Grade

Description

1-3

Shows limited awareness of portfolio goals

Has difficulty understanding the process of revision
Demonstrates little evidence of progress overtime
Limited explanation of choices made
Has difficulty relating to self/peer assessment

4-7

Reflects awareness of some portfolio goals

Understands the process of revision to a certain extent
Demonstrates some evidences of progress overtime
Explains choices made in a relevant way
Relates to self/peer assessment

8-10

Reflects awareness of portfolio goals

Understands the process of revision
Demonstrates evidences of progress overtime
Fully explains choices made
Reaches high level of reliability in self/peer assessment
Draws conclusions about his/her learning

1-3

Shows limited awareness of portfolio

goals
Has difficulty understanding the
process of revision
Demonstrates little evidence of
progress overtime
Limited explanation of choices made
Has difficulty relating to self/peer

4-7

Reflects awareness of some

portfolio goals
Understands the process of revision
to a certain extent
Demonstrates some evidences of
progress overtime
Explains choices made in a relevant
way

8-10 Reflects awareness of portfolio goals

Understands the process of revision
Demonstrates evidences of progress
overtime
Fully explains choices made
Reaches high level of reliability in
self/peer assessment
Draws conclusions about his/her

TIPS!
Each portfolio entry needs to be
assessed with reference to its specific
goals.
Since the goals and weighting of the
various portfolio components have been
clearly fixed in advance, assessing the
portfolio is not difficult.

TIPS!
Self and peer assessment can be used too,
as a tool for formative evaluation, with the
students having to justify their grades with
reference to the goals and to specific pages
in the portfolio.
This actually makes the teachers job of
assessing portfolio much easier, because the
pupil has done the groundwork of proving
how far each goal is met in the portfolio.

TIPS!
After all the efforts that your students have
invested in their portfolios, it is recommended
that the teacher provides feedback on the
portfolios that is more than just a grade.
One possibility is to write a letter about the
portfolio, which details strengths and
weaknesses and generates a profile of a
students ability, which is then added to the
portfolio.

TIPS!
The finished portfolio may be due only
at the end of the semester, but it is good
idea to set regular dates at which time
several portfolio-ready items will bbe
handed in, so the students know whether
they are on the right track

TIPS!
Another option is to prepare
certificates which comment on the
portfolio strengths and weaknesses.

Challenges
Reliability: It can be quite difficult to
establish scoring systems that are
reliable over raters or time. Reliability
across raters is especially important if
major decisions are to be based on the
assessment outcome.

Challenges
Time: The use of portfolios for
assessment is time consuming in terms
of hours needed to produce the product,
time to develop a workable scoring
system, and training for the evaluator(s).

Challenges
Depth, not breadth: Portfolio assessment
offers the opportunity for depth but not
breadth with regard to academic material
covered. A written test can include
questions from an entire unit with a sample
of items from all areas taught. Because of
the time it takes to produce products, it is
not possible to have a portfolio that
represents every aspect of a unit.

Challenges
Fairness: It may be difficult for the
evaluator to control outside influences on
the product such as parental assistance
and access to resources like computers.
If the assessment contributes to high
stakes decision making, lack of equity in
resources can be a significant problem.

Challenges
Contributions to learning: The use of
the portfolio for assessment purposes
could detract from its most important
contributions to the learning process,
such as honest teacher-student
communication, forthright selfassessment, and working toward ones
personal best.

Key ingredients to Classroom

Portfolio Assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.

Make sure students own their portfolios

Decide what kind of work to collect
Collect and store work samples
Select criteria by which to evaluate work
samples
5. Require students to continually evaluate their
own products
6. Schedule and conduct portfolio conferences
7. Involve parents in the portfolio assessment
process

Purposes of Portfolios
1. Documentation of student progress
Working portfolios

2. Showcasing student accomplishments

Celebration portfolios

3. Evaluation of student status

Student-Teacher
Conferences

 The main philosophy embedded in portfolio

assessment is shared and active
assessment. To this end, the teacher should
have short individual meetings with each
pupil, in which progress is discussed and
goals are set for a future meeting. Throughout
the process, the student and the teacher keep
careful documentation of the meetings noting
the significant agreements and findings in
each individual session.

 Through meetings of this kind, the

formative evaluation process for
portfolio assessment is fascilitated.
Indeed, the use of portfolio assessment
takes time but in the end, the gains are
well worth the time and effort expended
by the teacher.

 Finally, student-teacher conferences can

also be used for summative evaluation
purposes when the students present his
final portfolio product and where final
grades are determi8ned together with
the teacher. Even at this stage, students
can negotiate for the appropriate grade
to be given using as evidence the
minutes of the regular student-teacher
conferences.

Below is a list of helpful hints for setting up student-teacher

conferences.
The teacher should look at student work beforehand
A checklist or feedback form should accompany the work
Comments should be specific to the work and elaborated on
during the conference
The teacher should focus on two to three items that need work
and be prepared to share examples on how to improve them
Plenty of positive feedback should be shared throughout the
conference
Time for the student to ask questions and give input should be
allotted
Student should be able to take the feedback form/checklist
with them at the end of the conference to use as a reference
in making revisions

 The main goal should be to meet with

the students two or more times during
the course of a project. This way,
students are given multiple opportunities
to make sure they are on the right track
and make necessary improvements to
their work. Using formal conferencing
along with informal feedback, students
are protected from failure and set up for
success.