Discusses the implications for higher education nationally of the Urban Universities Portfolio Project (UUPP), placing the UUPP within a national agenda to focus attention on student learning, and examining how portfolio development worked from both the "inside out" and the "outside in" to renew this focus. (EV)

Exploits the advantages of a portfolio assignment both as a tool for teaching writing and as a tool for enhancing students' job search. Provides some background on the use of portfolios in an educational context; describes the portfolio assignment for the writing class and the rationale behind it; and draws some conclusions about the outcome of…

Discusses how electronic portfolios show considerable pedagogical, student-outcomes, and program assessment promise but have been plagued by numerous logistical and implementation problems. Describes using an efolios project to solve these problems, enabling students to concentrate on writing rather than on technology and to create an electronic…

Presents a teacher knowledge approach to school portfolio development that was used with teachers on five campuses involved in a major national reform movement. The narrative method shows how teacher knowledge is made public and shared through school portfolio making. Particular emphasis is placed on the connections between and among reflection…

Examines how students' participation in the process of constructing portfolios may affect their motivation for and engagement in literacy learning. Uses vignettes of students from an urban high school to lay out initial understandings of portfolios, and articulates an emerging theory around process portfolios. Suggests a broadening of the focus of…

Demonstrates how fairly distinctive and long-standing writing center philosophy and practice are reflected in the portfolio method of assessment. Argues that the immediate value of demonstrating a consistency between writing center philosophy and portfolio assessment is that clues for refining and improving the use of portfolios lie in writing…

Suggests that both portfolio and performance-based assessment can be implemented in ways that retain vestiges of standardized testing. Compares aspects of standardized testing to aspects of portfolio and performance-based evaluation. Discusses responsibility to those assessed. (RS)

Advocates the family portfolio as a more authentic assessment tool for evaluation in family literacy programs than standardized testing. Discusses the purpose and content of the portfolio, portfolio conferences, portfolio analysis, and what happens to the portfolio at the end of the program. (SR)

This brief article defines portfolio assessment; explains its use with students having disabilities; and provides 60 references to journal articles, monographs, reports, and conference papers, chosen to represent a cross-section of research-based, practitioner-oriented, and theoretical positions. (DB)

Describes the establishment of a hermeneutic circle of portfolio researchers (writing teachers from Alaska to Florida) acting as "outside readers" for each other--six months into the project, the group established an e-mail network called "Portnet." Contemplates the group's experiences during Portnet's first year. (PA)

Teachers can improve practice by examining students' work collaboratively. This paper describes how student work can be the basis for collaborative discussions about teaching and learning; notes that collaborative discussions of student work is increasing with the growing use of portfolio assessment; explains how to analyze student work to promote…

Discusses how portfolios can be a valuable tool for evaluating the work of theater students and for teaching reflective thinking. Describes portfolio content for students in an advanced acting class. Discusses training students in the presentation of their portfolios as well as how to evaluate the work. (SR)

Describes a California elementary school's plan to help teachers develop portfolios for year-end assessments. Teachers toss notes from parents, student work samples, photographs of class activities, lesson materials, and other "artifacts" into cardboard boxes. They help each other sort by four subject categories and develop final…

This article first presents background information on outcome or performance-based assessment approaches, including use of portfolios, and then examines the feasibility of using portfolios for assessment in university personal health classes. Suggestions for course planning, instruction, and evaluation are offered. (DB)

Describes efforts by teachers and administrators in Menomonee Falls School District near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to jointly develop a professional-development certificate for teachers. Describes requirements for earning the certificate and benefits related thereto. (PKP)