Portfolio development requires learners to collect and

integrate examples of their work and allows the teacher to

assess their learners as well. This assessment tool provides
opportunities for both the learners and teachers to better
understand the educational process in a wider perspective.
This chapter describes the processes of planning and
implementing portfolio assessment in the classroom. The
steps are aligned with the teaching and learning assessment,
to the curriculum, and teaching and learning activities as
well.
Chapter Intended Learning Outcome
At the end of the chapter, you should be able to develop and
evaluate portfolio assessment utilized in the classroom.
After knowing the nature of portfolio assessment, its
purposes, types and components, we need to clarify the steps
for designing and evaluating portfolio as an assessment tool,
The foregoing discussion illustrates the general procedure that
you may use in crafting and implementing portfolio
assessment in your classroom which reveals great learning
outcomes on students.
Designing a portfolio assessment requires some
advance and careful planning. It begins with a clear
idea about the purpose of the assessment.

The following steps provide a general directions for

developing portfolio assessment.
1. Steps for Developing Portfolio
Assessment
1. Identify Overall Purpose and Focus
2. Identify the Physical Structure
3. Determine the Appropriate Organization and Source
Content
4. Determine Student Reflection Guidelines
5. Identify and Evaluate Scoring Criteria
6. Communicate the Results of Portfolio Evaluation
 1. Identify Overall Purpose and Focus
The design and use of portfolio begins with a clear
description of your purpose and focus. The questions,
"Why do I want a portfolio?" and "What learning
targets and curriculum will it serve?' sharpen the focus
of identifying the purpose and focus of portfolio. With
these, you can clearly identify why you want your
students to create a portfolio. Below are list of
questions on how to prepare and use portfolio.
 Preparing
to
Use a Portfolio
Who will construct your portfolio?
_Individual students with teacher input and help
_Individual students with teacher input and help of cooperative
learning groups
_Cooperative base groups (whole group work and individual members
work) with teachers input and help
What type of portfolio do you want to use?
What are the purposes and objectives of the portfolio?
What categories of work samples should go into the portfolio?
What criteria will students or groups use to select their entries?
Who will develop the rubrics to assess and evaluate the portfolios?
(_____Faculty _____Students)
Johnson (2002)
 Portfolios may be used to assess understanding but are
ideal for assessing product, skill, and reasoning targets. This
is especially true for multi-dimensional skills such as
writing, reading, and problem solving that are continually
improved and demonstrated through products. With
extensive self-reflection, critical thinking is an important
target. Students also develop metacognitive and decision-
making skills. As with other performance assessments,
portfolios generally are not very efficient for assessing
knowledge targets (McMillan, 2007).
 It is important to distinguish between learning targets for
individual work samples and the content of the portfolio as a
whole. The targets that reflect all content tends to be broader and
more general, such as "development as a reader," "adapts writing to
audience," "speaks clearly," and "adapts writing style to different
purposes."
The present K to 12 Curriculum provides learning targets which
need to be achieved in the form of content and performance
standards. Thus, the nature of using portfolio assessment is based
from the importance and focus of the learning targets. It
necessitates that portfolio matches with the learning standards and
goals.
Below is an example of assessing reading skills performance
which shows the alignment of teaching and learning goal,
activities and assessment task which includes portfolio
evidence.

Reading Skills Performance

Goal Sample Classroom Portfolio Evidence Assessment Tools
Activities
Decode (basic reading Read simple texts Word bank (list of Individual progress
skills for beginning or words mastered), report, peer
weak readers) selected "texts I can compliment, self/ peer-
read", completed assessment checklists,
reading tasks, reading rating scales
on cassette
Understand simple Read familiar story Cassette of story read, Self/peer assessment
texts (narratives, Practice scanning ads, reading strategies checklists, rating
expository types) TV guide Identify main checklist, completed scales, answer key
points and details in a reading task, corrected
news report test item
Appreciate literature Semi-extensive reading Reading logs, reading Self/ peer-assessment
(stories/poems read in activities (i.e. both journal, book tasks, checklists
class), e.g., guided and cassette, video clips,
understanding independent reading) artwork
character and theme
Reading for pleasure Sustained silent A log of books/ Teacher's record of
(extensive reading) reading in class as well booklets/reading student's reading:
as at home cards/news articles Rating scale relating to
read; creative tasks and content, presentation
comment cards and language

Use simple information Work with glossary, Dictionary exercises: Answer key
tools/ resource table of contents, alphabetizing,  
materials dictionary matching definitions to
Appropriate
words, synonyms,
information
antonyms, etc.
(found/partially
  found/not found)
Results of search, as
part of project (+
comment card)

From Kemp and Toperoff(1998)

 2. Identify the Physical Structure
Once the purpose and targets have been clarified, we need to think of the
physical structure of the portfolio. Some practical questions affect the
successful use of portfolio in your classroom:
 What it will look like?
 Where will the students place the outputs?
 What type of container is appropriate?
 Do they need file folders? clear book? plastic bins?
 How are the materials to be organized - categorically, numerically,
alphabetically, by subject area or in other ways?
 Where can students store the portfolios for easy access?
 If students cannot manage and access their
materials affectively, they will become
discouraged. You may need your original
intentions based on the answer to practical
considerations. Choices of products and work
outputs influence students on what to include
in their portfolio.
  

3. Determine the Appropriate Organization and

Sources of Content
The content of portfolio consists of entries (student products
and activity records) which provides assessment information
about the content and processes identified in the dimensions to
be assessed. These naturally are artifacts which are derived
from the different learning activities. The range of samples is
extensive and must be determined to some extent by the
subject matter and the instruction as presented in the table on
the next page.
 Examples of Artifacts
for
Portfolio by Subject Areas
 Language Arts Mathematics Science Social Studies
Favorite poems, songs, Solution to an open- ended Prediction based on prior Presentation of a view of
letters question experience society
Finished samples. of Graphs, histograms Data tables Written descriptions of
different writing genres: different cultures,
persuasive, letters, poetry, institutions, professions
information, stories

Finished writings. drawn Geometric Shapes Concept Maps Discussion of equality,

from other subject areas justice, democracy freedom,
rights, and other large social
concepts

Literature extensions: Examples of perimeter, Drawing to scale Drawing to artifacts

scripts for drama, visual area, cubic space
arts, webs, charts, timelines,
murals
Audiotape of readings Problem made up by Graphs, inferences, Timelines
student to display a concept conclusions based on data

Notes from individual Models, photo showing use Diagrams, charts, Examples constitutions and
reading and research of manipulatives interpretation of trends civic responsibilities
Writing responses that Written discussion of Written discussions of Position paper on a
illustrate critical and mathematical concepts science concepts social issue
creative thinking
Writing responses to Statistical manipulation Inquiry Designs Investigation of social
literacy components: of data issue
plot, setting, point of
view, character
development, links to
life, theme criticism
Items with evidence of Description of Science-technology- Family shield and
style, organization, mathematical concepts society connections explanations of
voice, clarity found in the physical symbols
world
Evidence of effort-first Papers showing Example of science Proposal to respond to
drafts, second drafts, correction to misconception that is a social problem
finished drafts mathematical errors corrected

Adapted from Musial (2009)

 Select the organizational entries of portfolio that will
allow the students to meet the purpose of portfolio. If
your target is to show performance product, select output-
oriented tasks. If you need to provide feedback to
students on the procedure they used in putting together a
report, include a summary of that process as part of the
portfolio. McMillan (2007) pointed out to use work
samples that capitalize on the advantages of portfolios,
such as flexibility, individuality, and authenticity.
 The categories or type of entries should consider the content and
process dimension it will assess and the minimum and maximum
number of entries per category. Make sure that entries should fully
represent the students' attainment or growth and learning progress.
This allows variation so that students can show individual work. This
often means giving students choices and potentials about what they
want to include in their portfolio entries.
It is best also to determine the types of work samples to be
included in the portfolio at the same time that instructional activities
are developed. Products and performances that result from
instructional activities often provide useful work samples in
portfolios.
 4. Determine Student Reflection Guidelines
Before implementing your portfolio assessment plan,
establish guidelines to help students self-reflect along the way.
With this, students will develop greater ownership of the
process and will have experience in working collaboratively
with you as their teacher.
Below are examples of questions which are helpful in
determining student reflections. These questions help the
students gain metacognitive skills including self-reflection and
assessment.
• Describe the steps that you used to complete today's activity. Which steps really helped you
complete the activity and which ones were less useful? What would you change next time?
• What personal strengths did you notice in completing today's work? What difficulties did
you have and how did you overcome them? What kind of help did you need that you could
not get? Where might you find that help in the future?
• What aspect of today's work was meaningful to you? What effect did the work have in your
own attitudes, perspectives, or interests?
• What weaknesses did you find in your efforts to complete your work? How might you
overcome one of these weaknesses? What resources could you use? What resources would
you like to use that are not available to you?
• What makes your best work more effective than your other work? What does your best
work tell you about your accomplishments? What could you still improve in your best
work?
• Ask someone to look at your work and describe what they see. Carefully listen to the
feedback and jot down what is said. Then make a list of the comments with which you
agree and describe why you do not agree with others.

Musial (2009)
 5. Identify and Evaluate Scoring Criteria
After determining the student reflection guidelines, the next step is to
establish the scoring criteria you will use in evaluating student performance.
By working on the student criteria, students will develop greater ownership of
the process and will have experience in working cooperatively and
collaboratively with you as a teacher. However, as the facilitator of learning,
you are responsible to ensure the reliability and high quality of scoring
criteria. The students should be informed also on how you will evaluate their
portfolios. This can be done by sharing the scoring criteria with your students
so that they can ask questions, give their suggestions and insights. The table
below shows example of Math portfolio under the content of Problem
Solving.
 Math Problem-Solving Portfolio Rating Form
Content Categories
_____Problem Solving
_____Estimation
_____Problem One
_____Final Problem
_____Numbers and Operations
_____Predictions
_____Problem Two

To be completed by student:
1. Date submitted:
2. What does this problem say about you as a problem solver?
3. What do you like best about how you solved in this problem?
4. How will you improve your problem-solving skill on the next problem?
To be completed by teacher:
1. Quality of Reflection
Rating Description
5. Has excellent insight into his/her problem-solving abilities and some ideas of how to get better.
4. Has good insight into his/her problem-solving abilities and some ideas of how to get better.
3. Reflects somewhat on problem-solving strengths and needs. Has some idea of how to improve as a problem solver.
2. Seldom reflects on problem-solving strengths and needs. Has little idea of how to improve as a problem solver.
1. Has no concept of himself or herself as a problem solver.
 
2. Mathematical Knowledge
Rating Description
5. Shows deep understanding of problems, math concepts, and principles. Uses appropriate math terms and all calculations are correct.
4. Shows good understanding of math problems, concepts, and principles. Uses appropriate math terms most of the time. Few
computational errors.
3. Shows understanding of some of the problems, math concepts, and principles. Uses some terms incorrectly. Contains some
computation errors.
2. Errors in the use of many problems. Many terms used incorrectly.
1. Major errors in problems. Shows no understanding of math problems, concepts and principles.
3. Strategic Knowledge
Rating Description
5. Identifies all the important elements of the problem. Reflects an appropriate and systematic strategy for solving the problem; gives clear evidence of a
solution process.
4. Identifies most of the important elements of the problem. Reflects an appropriate systematic strategy for solving the problem and gives clear evidence of a
solution process most of the time.
3. Identifies some important elements of the problem. Gives some evidence of a strategy to solve the problems but process is incomplete.
2. Identifies few important elements of the problem. Gives little evidence of a strategy to solve the problems and the process is unknown.
1. Uses irrelevant outside information. Copies parts of the problem; no attempt at solution.
 
4. Communication
Rating Description
5. Gives a complete response with clear, unambiguous explanation; includes diagrams and charts when they help clarify explanation; presents strong arguments
that are logically developed.
4. Gives good response with fairly clear explanation, which includes some use of diagrams and charts; presents good arguments that are mostly but not always
logically developed.
3. Explanations and descriptions of problem solution are somewhat clear but incomplete; make use of diagrams and examples to clarify points but arguments are
incomplete.
2. Explanations and descriptions of problems are weak; makes little, if any, use of diagrams and examples to clarify points; arguments are seriously flawed.
1. Ineffective communication: Diagrams misinterpret the problem; arguments have no sound premise.

Sum of ratings: _______________

Average of Ratings: ___________
Comments: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
 In evaluating scoring criteria, the rubrics available
must be consistent with the purpose of the portfolio and
with the overall curriculum framework. Reliability must
be considered as well, to give the same results for the
same students when applied by different teachers.
 6. Communicate the Results of Portfolio Evaluation
The final step in implementing portfolio assessment is to
conduct a conference with each student to review its contents,
the students' reflections, and assessment of the individual
output. Give your students guidelines for these conferences so
that they can prepare some questions ahead of time and allow
the students to give their views and insights during the
conference. As a result, this serves as an avenue to determine
the strengths and limitations of portfolio for plan of action
formulation.
The following is a checklist for implementing and using
portfolio:
• Are students knowledgeable about what a portfolio is and how it will be used?
• Do students know why portfolios are important?
• Are the students responsible for or involved in selecting the content?
• Is there a sufficient number of work samples but not too many?
• Is a table of contents included?
• Are specific self-evaluation questions provided?
• Is the checklist of contents complete?
• Are scoring criteria for individualized teacher-written comments provided?
• Are student-teacher conferences included?
2. Portfolio Evaluation
2.1 Student Evaluation
One advantage of portfolio assessment is allowing the students to revisit, reflect, and
evaluate their own work. This allows them to practice critiquing and conceptualizing the
quality of their work based on the criteria performance. This also provides an opportunity
for students to become better achievers as they learn to reflect on their strengths and
weaknesses.
 
Teacher as a model should be the first person to demonstrate the skills in evaluating and
critiquing portfolio. Once the students understand the process and the principle of
evaluating, they can start to engage with their own reflection and establish a comfortable,
confident and reliable analysis and critique of their own work.
Some questions can be asked to facilitate student self-reflection for
individual work which give insights into how students have been
reaching the learning targets:
 Why did you select this piece of writing?
 What did you learn from the selection?
 Can you identify your strengths and weaknesses?
 What problems have you encountered in doing the task?
 Which is the most satisfying experience?
 What are your insights after reading the poem?
 Is this your best work?
 What kind of work would you like to do in the future?
 2.2 Teacher Evaluation
Evaluating a portfolio involves making judgments about students' outputs. The
teacher can use numerical scores to summarize judgment or qualitative system.
Scoring needs to be reliable and should not be affected by inconsistencies not related
to the qualities being judged.
As a rule of thumb, it is important to remember that the purpose of portfolio is to
assess the students' outcomes of the instructional goals. The samples of entries are
indicators whether students have achieved the goals of instruction which are
evaluated based on the portfolio's entire content, structure, and individual entries.
In most of the classroom situations, the teacher is both the observer and the rater.
If there are some important instructional decisions to be made, additional raters must
be considered in order to make scoring more fair.
 2.3 Student-Teacher Conference
As mentioned in the steps in developing portfolio assessment, the final
step is to conduct a conference with each student to review the contents,
reflections, and evaluation. It should be scheduled throughout the year which
provides important link between the students and teachers. Your students can
be responsible for conducting the conference and this will serve as a
motivating force for the learners to produce excellent portfolio in the future.
McMillan (2007) pointed out that students need to compare their
reflections with your evaluations and make plans for subsequent work.
Although weaknesses and areas for improvement need to be covered,
emphasize students' progress and achievement as well.
 One way or another, this also provides an excellent means of
communicating with parents. The work outputs and reflections of the
students can be a sort of window into what is happening within the
classroom as parents see the different aspects of their children's
experiences in the school. As a tripartite communication between the
parents, teachers and students, portfolio assessment provides framework
for meaningful three-way discussion of the progress, achievement, and
limitations.
After the portfolios are complete, it is a good idea to have an
exhibition of portfolios and/or student-led parent-teacher conferences, in
which students present their portfolios to their parents.
Below is a checklist which can help you design and enhance your portfolio
assessment program.
A Portfolio Development Checklist
1. What purpose(s) will your portfolio serve? (Check any that apply.)
 Prepare a sample of best work for future teachers to see
 Communicate to parents what has been learned
 Evaluate my teaching
 Assign course grades
 Create collections of favorite or best work
 Document achievement for alternative credit
 Submission to a college or employer
 To show growth in skill and dispositions
 Others__________
2. What cognitive skills will be assessed by the individual entries?
 Cognitive strategies (specify)________
 Deep understanding (specify)_________
 Communication (specify)__________
 Metacognition (specify)_________
 Procedural skills (specify)_________
 Knowledge construction (specify)_________
 Others_________
 
3. What dispositions do you want entries to reflect?
 Flexibility
 Persistence
 Collaboration
 Acceptance of feedback
 Others (specify)_________
4. What criteria or rubrics will you use to judge the extent to which these skills positions were achieved?
 
5. In rating the portfolio as a whole, what things will you look for?
 Variety of entries
 Growth in reflection
 Growth in skill or performance
 Organization
 Presentation
 
6. What kind of scale will you construct to rate the overall portfolio?
 
7. How will you combine all your ratings into final grade?
 
8. Who will be involved in the planning process?
 Learners
 Teachers
 Parents
9. What content categories are included in the portfolio?
10. Will learners have a choice over content categories?
 Yes
 No
 
11. Who decides what samples to include in each content area?
 Learners
 Teachers
 Parents
 
12. How many samples will be included in each area?
 One
 Two
 More than two
 
13. Have you specified deadlines of the entries?
 Yes
 No
 
14. Have you developed forms to rate and summarize ratings for all drafts and final products?
 Yes (Specify)
 No
 
15. What are your instructions on how work gets turned in and returned?
 
16. Where will the portfolio be kept and who has access to them?
 Where (specify).
 Who (specify).
 
17. Who will plan, conduct, and attend the final conference?
 Learners
 Other teachers
 Parents
 Others (specify)
CHAPTER 8 LEARNING KEY POINTS
 Designing a portfolio assessment requires some advance and careful planning. It
begins with a clear idea about the purpose of the assessment.
 The following steps provide general directions for developing portfolio assessment.
(1) Identify Overall Purpose and Focus; (2) Identify the Physical Structure; (3)
Determine the Appropriate Organization and Sources of Content; (4) Determine
Student-Reflection Guidelines; (5) Identify and Evaluate Scoring Criteria; and (6)
Communicate the Results of Portfolio Evaluation.
 Portfolio provides opportunity to involve students in the assessment process which
made themselves become better achiever along the process as they understand both
their weaknesses and strengths.
 Evaluating a portfolio involves making judgments about student's outputs. Teacher
can use numerical scores to summarize judgment or qualitative system.
 McMillan (2007) pointed out that students need to compare their reflections with
your evaluations and make plans for subsequent work.
Thank