Noting that portfolios contain the students' best efforts at writing and mathematics problem-solving skills, this pamphlet discusses issues surrounding Vermont's portfolio assessment program from the parent's point of view. The pamphlet discusses reasons to use portfolios, how portfolios differ from traditional ways of looking at students' writing…

A year-long ethnographic case study examined two public city high school English teachers' efforts to reform their literature instruction and evaluation practices through the use of portfolios. One case study teacher ("William") has 30 years of teaching experience and was heavily influenced by New Criticism. The other teacher…

To say that assessments must be authentic, dynamic, fluid, and formative is not to say that normative, standardized evaluations have no place in the overall assessment scheme. What is needed is a combination and balance of assessments. The tri-assessment model promotes using traditional assessments along with portfolio and performance assessments.…

This annotated bibliography presents articles reflecting some of the current holdings on alternative and innovative assessment in the social studies at the Assessment Resource Library. There are two sections to the bibliography: a listing of the articles themselves in alphabetical order by primary author, and an index. Each document is described…

Mentors working with students with teacher education portfolios often struggle with how much and what kind of direction to provide to scaffold students' reflections. An analysis of early childhood licensure students' conversations about portfolio making suggests a tri-part framework for the direction mentors offer. First, students ask for…

Traditional assessment in reading and writing does not accurately reflect what we currently know about the reading and writing process. It disempowers teachers, students, and parents; separates assessment, instruction, and learning; and employs externally defined criteria for cross assessment purposes. Efforts to develop useful alternative…

Across the various programs of study, portfolios serve many functions and purposes. Electronic portfolios have been used as a culminating product for students in our Master of Library Science and Master of Education in Instructional Technology at East Carolina University. Two conclusions were drawn from this study - (1) authentic assessment using…

This book is a comprehensive step-by-step tool for school leader preparation candidates and school leaders alike in the development of standards-based digital school leader portfolios. Readers receive a rich array of activities, worksheets, and rubrics useful in the planning, development, and assessment of standards-based digital portfolios.…

This guide delineates Utah's secondary school music course curricula. The introductory section, "Music Connections," contains a music achievement portfolio for a general music course. The guide explains that "Music Connections" is an extension of the K-6 music core and includes concepts and skills to integrate music into…

This study described how one educator organized her instructional practices around a mandated assessment portfolio, examining the effectiveness of this endeavor. It investigated the benefits and/or disadvantages of organizing instructional practice around assessment portfolios, whether student self-efficacy and overall performance in portfolio…

In developmental assessment, teachers monitor student progress against a map of developing skills, knowledge, and understanding. Portfolio assessment is a tool to use in developmental assessment, and there are many types of portfolios to support developmental assessment of students. When considering a portfolio type, it is important to consider…

This report describes alternative assessment approaches to elementary visual art studies at an inner-city school in a large city in the Midwest. Sixth-grade neighborhood students participated in the study. Data revealed that sixth-grade students have spent little time on alternative assessment. Time constraints, a lack of curriculum addressing…

Intended for new and experienced teachers in grades K-8, this book takes readers through a process of thinking about how to put portfolios into action. The book models a process for making decisions about the type of portfolio, what to place in it, how to structure the interactions with it, and how to use it to evaluate student progress and report…

This book explains the range of assessment techniques that monitor learning effectively. It provides step-by-step procedures for a standards-based approach to classroom assessment and strategies for aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Examples show how to implement each form of assessment. The chapters are: (1) "An Overview of…

This book reviews the assessment movement, from the history of testing to the practical considerations of enhancing classroom experiences for teachers and students. It explores making time for assessment, tailoring assessment to desired outcomes, and scoring and evaluating student performance. The chapters are: (1) "Where We've Been: Standardized…