Discusses experiences of team teaching a sixth grade collaborative mathematics class that included special needs students. Discusses class assignments and the use of portfolio grading, and the success of special needs students in completing homework and working collaboratively. (JPB)

Describes the institution of portfolio use with a diverse group of eighth grade mathematics students representing a spectrum of ability levels. Presents data on student reaction to portfolio use, integrating portfolios into a math classroom, helping students understand their use and structure, and the lessons learned by the teachers. (SD)

Discusses the use of reading portfolios to evaluate middle school students' reading interests, attitudes, motivation, and achievement. Considers the results of portfolios with three students and the benefits of the evaluation for parents and teachers. (JPB)

The essential idea of alternative assessment modes is for students to create some product and reflect on it. The authenticity of tasks means using regular classroom instruction as an opportunity for student assessment. Reflective self-evaluation should be an integral part of every classroom assignment, not an obligatory afterthought. Developing…

Investigates the effect of mathematics portfolio assessments on middle school students' achievement. Discusses portfolio contents, students' attitudes toward the ability of portfolios to reflect their achievement and toward their active involvement in assessment, and the success of the evaluations. (JPB)

Provides overview of purposes and formats for student portfolio development. Highlights history of the portfolio process at the University of Dayton (UD), illustrates how UD education faculty prepare middle school teachers to collect evidence using National Middle School Association guidelines and the PRAXIS III framework, to be used for assessing…

Notes how one middle school implemented portfolio assessment to improve the quality of education. Discusses the cooperative planning that responded to issues of improving assessment, demonstrating a commitment to writing across the curriculum, linking disciplines, providing continuity from existing methods, and establishing standards. (JPB)

Discusses the implementation of student portfolios to inform parents of the value of teacher advisory time for their middle school students. Considers the need for portfolios, the process of building the portfolio, and eliciting feedback from parents. (JPB)

Examines the reliability and validity of high stakes standardized tests and the impact of linking state-level high stakes testing to the standards movement on middle school curriculum, instruction, and student achievement. Asserts that such testing ends up harming the most vulnerable students and schools. Offers a vision of student assessment that…

Describes the use of literacy portfolios in an eighth-grade classroom. Discusses the growth of self-awareness, the strong sense of personal commitment, the connection between analyzing and critiquing individual work through the eyes of a reader, the creation of a community of writers, and student reflections on their writing experiences. (SD)

Discusses a method of evaluating middle school students' writing portfolios that places responsibility on the students themselves. Presents the evaluation assignment in three parts: students' self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, and parent-evaluation. Notes the effects of the portfolio method and evaluation strategy on literacy education. (JPB)

A teaching team from Fall Creek Valley Middle School in Indianapolis, Indiana sought to improve their students' writing skills by collecting writing samples in portfolios in each of their subject areas. This approach allowed the eighth-grade students to assess their progress as writers, see connections between the disciplines, and understand the…