This introduction to authentic assessment portfolios for special needs children considers the purpose of the portfolio, types of items appropriate for the portfolio content, and criteria for evaluating the portfolio. (DB)

Describes a nursing module on caring for older adults, intended to develop critical thinking and clinical skills through problem-based learning and portfolio assessment of clinical practice. (Contains 40 references.) (SK)

Studied the interrater reliability of a portfolio assessment used in a small-scale program evaluation. Investigated analytic, combined analytic, and holistic family literacy portfolios from an Even Start program. Results show that at least three raters are needed to obtain acceptable levels of reliability for holistic and individual analytic…

Explores how writing instructors at "City University" grappled with crises of standardization in evaluation of students' portfolios. Details the two most severe experiences in multiple breakdowns in the project of standardization: crises of textual representation and crises of evaluative subjectivity. Examines conflicting interpretations…

Suggests that teacher applicants' portfolios often lack the ability to provide real insight into the teaching skills and potential success of the applicants. Concludes that a well-developed portfolio is not an insurance policy for either the employer or the candidate, but it is one very effective tool for providing tangible evidence of a…

Notes that portfolio assessment is a promising approach to measure young children's growth, development, and achievement. Details characteristics of assessment portfolios, methods of gathering information, and tips for portfolio development. Includes examples from preschool children's portfolios. (LBT)

Examines use of portfolios as a major assessment tool for students in the field of English Education. Discusses how professional portfolios encourage students to use their meta-cognitive skills and find their own unique themes as well as encouraging teachers to become collaborators and co-creators with students. Describes advantages and…

The overall goal of assessment is to collect information regarding a targeted program or performance. Specifically, assessment involves the identification, clarification, and application of defensible criteria to ascertain a target object's value, quality, utility, effectiveness, or significance in relation to those criteria. Through such…

This article, based on the guidance of 17 teacher education students during their final term, presents the theoretical framework, procedures and results of an extensive experiment with portfolio assessment combined with peer tutoring. A recent reform programme in higher education in Norway has as one of its aims to improve the quality of teaching…

The issue of arriving at agreement over outcomes in summative assessment of portfolios has been a major concern, given the complexity of the assessment task, the educational and political context, and the widespread and growing use of portfolios in higher education. This article examines research findings in this area. The discussion takes place…

The word "portfolio" might bring to mind the artist's case bulging with sketches, samples and finished or unfinished works in no particular order. On the other hand, it might suggest the familiar collection of report cards, crayon drawings and dioramas that accumulate in schoolchildren's homes over the years. In an adult education setting,…

Assessment of graduate student competencies is important, and benefits are realized at the student, department, institution, and community levels. The institution has a method of assessing the achievement of identified skills; the gerontology department or division has prepared workers to promote to potential employers and to potential recruits to…

This article describes the use of a research portfolio in a credit course for honors student thesis research, an approach that supports authentic assessment, assists students in understanding the interconnectedness of research, and provides a template tool for organizing the information gathering process.

Residency educators are identifying approaches to measure resident competence. Portfolios are well suited since they require work already completed as part of patient care where competency must be demonstrated. This paper describes assessment of the reliability and validity of portfolios in a psychiatry residency program. This was a…

The changing perspectives of mental retardation require the use of assessment techniques that reveal strengths and weaknesses in the individual's present level of functioning and highlight the areas and intensity of needed supports. Portfolios provide such a method of assessment because they are sensitive to small improvements in functioning,…