Portfolio workbooks combine reflection, planning, critical incident analysis, and integration of theory and practice. They provide a comprehensive record of student learning and develop autonomy and decision-making skills. A precondition for effective use is teacher commitment to student-centered learning. (SK)

Outlines recommendations to teachers who are considering using portfolios in their environmental program. Answers portfolio design questions, and provides an example of the design of a portfolio based on general environmental skills. Discusses evaluation of environmental portfolios. (LZ)

Suggests that the mathematics portfolio is beneficial to teachers when making instructional decisions and allows students to actively monitor their progress and growth. Discusses types of portfolios and possible contents of portfolios. (RS)

Introduces an assessment scheme whereby students submitted portfolios in which they showed how they had met the objectives of the course. Concludes that while a number of problems with the assessment scheme were identified, overall there is sufficient evidence to justify saying that the scheme had a positive effect on student learning in the…

Describes the implementation of a portfolio assessment program in the dental hygiene program at the University of Missouri School of Dentistry. Tables provide examples of program competencies and related portfolio entries, the complete scoring rubric for portfolios, and the student portfolio evaluation survey. Concludes that although portfolio…

Describes 10 variations on the portfolio for assessment: literacy portfolio, reflection portfolio, "reflection the beauty" portfolio, process portfolio, student portfolio, reading portfolio, featherweight portfolio, showcase portfolio, exit portfolio, and literacy portfolio revisited. Accompanies each one with a "recipe." (SR)

Portfolios provide students with opportunities to communicate the story of their learning to their parents. During one Illinois school's portfolio evenings, children use portfolio materials to demonstrate how their writing and understanding of numbers has changed since last year. Excerpts from a sample five-year student portfolio are presented.…

Describes the design and implementation of a portfolio evaluation plan for teachers at North Haven, Connecticut, Public Schools, key components of which are professional development and training for both teachers and administrators. (PKP)

There is an increasing need for educators to have professional portfolios, which are considered to be authentic tools for evaluating the knowledge, skill, beliefs and attitudes of prospective educators. Electronic portfolios are gaining in popularity and their relative pros and cons are examined.

The teacher-researchers have made digital portfolios and blogging the centerpieces of their group as ways to share their research and get input from their peers. The effect of this collaborative project, the digital portfolio, on their teaching is discussed.

Two groups of government workers were involved in career portfolio development workshops that were designed to expand the workers' thinking about their career accomplishments, enhance their sense of career resilience, and create portfolios. Focus groups conducted after the workshops indicated that participants began to engage in "portfolio…

What we ask students to do is who we ask them to be. With this as a defining proposition, I make three claims: (1) print portfolios offer fundamentally different intellectual and affective opportunities than electronic portfolios do; (2) looking at some student portfolios in both media begins to tell us something about what intellectual work is…

The developing discourse which moves assessment away from a measurement model towards one of learner empowerment and the development of assessment for lifelong learning sets the context for this paper. Within this framework, we explore how the demands made on practitioners may influence current reported assessment practices. The reasons given by…

Performance-based assessment of teachers includes a class of measurement methods designed to assess the quality of teacher performance on one or two important aspects of teaching. It may include portfolios, structured observations, video records of practice, and teacher work samples. Performance-based assessment can be contrasted with assessments…

This longitudinal study followed students (n = 265) from kindergarten through seventh grade and examined early social and academic predictors of school performance at two normative school transitions. Questions addressed include: (a) are there changes in students' school performance over time, especially at school transition points; (b) are…