The ways that portfolio evidence of student competence in the writing processes is created and interpreted were studied in four classrooms during the preliminary trials of the California Learning Assessment System portfolios. Data from interviews with six students and two elementary school teachers are used to explore student portfolios and…

Maintains that California teachers are now responsible for preparing students for the new California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) test. Discusses the multiple choice, written response, primary source, and essay writing sections of the test. Provides suggestions for scoring essays and having students evaluate each other's writing. (CFR)