PORTFOLIOS ASSESSMENT

While a test can give teachers a small snapshot of a student's mental abilities, an assessment portfolio provides a much more in-depth, authentic assessment of the pupil's skill level. Although the task of creating an assessment portfolio takes more time and effort than giving a standard test, the resulting picture of the student's skill level is so much more clear that it often proves worth the extra time. As you set about assessing your students, guide them through the creation of an assessment portfolio and use this tool to better your understanding of your their actual skill level. Instructions Define the purpose for the portfolio. List the things that you want the portfolio contents to show. For example, if creating a portfolio for science, you might want it to show that the student understands and can utilize the scientific method as well as that the pupil is familiar with an array of science-related vocabulary. Pick a portfolio container. If the planned portfol

A portfolio offers an alternative form of assessment of students' capabilities independent of test-taking skills. A portfolio provides a clear view of the learning path that students have taken over time, while encouraging mastery of a body of knowledge and the skills needed to acquire it. Photographs and videotapes of presentations and activities, student and observer narratives, journal entries and project proposals should all be included in a portfolio. Things You'll Need Digital or throwaway camera Video camera Hanging file box and files Dividers Sticky note tabs Show More Instructions Collect representative samples of students' work. These should include descriptions of projects, photos, observer and demonstrator narratives, journal entries and documentation of any self-exploratory activities, such as surveys and interest inventories. For example, a student who participates in a Young Eagles flight might include a photo of himself in the cockpit of the p

Portfolio Assessment is a term used to describe a collection (or portfolio) of a student's work collected over time, so that teachers, school administrators, and parents can view a student's progression in a given content area (such as math or reading). Students usually have some hand in choosing the work that goes into their portfolio, often choosing work that is most representative of their abilities. Significance Portfolio Assessment grew out of the desire to find another way to measure academic success other than standardized, norm-referenced, multiple-choice style tests. While a standardized test can measure what a given student knows "at the moment", portfolio assessment can measure a student's cognitive process. Advocates of portfolio assessment often point to the disconcerting trend that, given the high stakes of standardized, and more recently, state testing, curriculum is often more geared to the test rather than providing opportunities for broad edu