Student portfolios

General Observations about Portfolios

• Portfolios provide new perspectives on learning, which are difficult to observe through traditional assessment tools.
• Portfolios work for students of all ability levels in virtually all subject areas.
• Portfolios are not intended to be a replacement of other assessment systems.
• Portfolios encourage self-direct learning and self assessment.
• Portfolios foster learning about learning.
• Portfolios demonstrate progress towards goals

Two Types of Portfolios

• Growth Portfolios demonstrate how students have grown in their learning process and should contain meaningful artifacts and reflections about what they have done and learned.
• Showcase/Best Work Portfolios contain reflections and demonstrations of only the students’ best work.
• Combination of Growth and Showcase/Best Work contains some of each of the types.